T//£^j^  Bar 

WHO  BECAME 
\BlSHOP0F  TmNlGER^ 


^- 


J^sse/^ce-. 


■%^l 


^^^^,OHtilKara,i,,/4,/'^^ 


PRINCETON,    N.  J. 


*S 


Purchased  by  the  Hammill   Missionary  Fund. 

3V  3625  .N6  C762  1888 
Page,  Jesse. 
Samuel  Crowther 


Number 


THIRD    EDITION.        THIRTEENTH     THOUSAND, 

Samuel  "Crowther 

The  Slauc  Boij  tuha  became 

BISHOP   OF   THE   NIGER 


BY      J 

JESSE  ^AGE 

Author  of    "Bishop   Patteson,   the  Missionary  Martyr  of  Melanesia. 


-^;«— 


From  out  the  darkness  gleamed  a  single  star, 
And  lo  !  the  tempest-driven  hailed  its  light; 
So  from  the  gloom  of  Afric,  shone  afar 
The  witness  of  the  Lord,  a  blessed  sight 
Which  many  grateful  saw,  and  kneeling  there 
Heard  first  the  tidings  of  Salvation  near. 


-■^ 


FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 
NEW     YORK  CHICAGO  TORONTO 

Fjiblishcrs  cf  Evangelical  Literature. 


'f'\-  <>-\'.\^- 


I\EFAC£;. 


*$^ 


THE  name  of  Crowther  is  a  household  word  m  the 
record  of  missionary  enterprise.  The  fact  of  his 
being  the  first  native  Bishop  of  Africa,  the  pathetic 
incidents  of  his  early  life,  and  the  gracious  success 
which  has  crowned  his  efforts  on  the  banks  of  the 
Niger,  have  all  combined  to  make  an  imjjress  upon 
the  memory  and  heart  of  Christian  peojjle  in  England 
which  will  not  grow  slighter  with  the  passage  of  the 
years.  Many  whose  eyes  look  upon  these  pages  will 
remember  the  striking  effect  of  the  black  Bishop's 
first  appearance  on  our  platforms,  and  will  recall  the 
more  frequent  occasions  when  in  the  pulpits  of  our 
churches  he  has  pleaded  the  cause  of  the  work  to 
which  he  has  devoted  his  energies  and  life. 

But  like  all  men  of  real  character,  to  understand 
and  appreciate  Crowther  you  must  personally  know 
him.  Few  men  have  a  more  interesting  and  impressive 
individuality. 


VI  rnEFACE. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  rush  of  feeling  which  I  ex- 
perienced when  in  his  little  room  at  Salisbury  Square 
I  had  first  the  privilege  of  seeing  the  subject  of  this 
biography  face  to  face.  In  our  many  subsequent  in- 
terviews this  sense  of  heartfelt  veneration  increased 
more  and  more,  and  I  recall  gratefully  the  hours  of 
patient  and  invaluable  attention  which  he  gave  to  the 
proof  sheets  of  this  work,  as,  word  for  word,  I  read 
them  to  him.  From  time  to  time  he  would  arrest 
the  reading  to  correct  a  date  or  even  the  spelling  of 
a  native  name,  and  oftener  with  emotion  to  linger  on 
the  old  scenes  and  explain  more  fully  the  incidents  of 
his  career  as  they  passed  in  review.  One  of  the 
characteristics  of  Bishop  Crowther  is  a  strong  disap- 
probation of  "  the  praise  of  men,"  and  he  recognised 
with  evident  pleasure  that  these  pages  aimed  rather 
to  glorify  God  than  to  magnify  man. 

The  work  on  the  Niger,  with  which  his  name  will  be 
for  ever  identified,  is  throughout  a  remarkable  evidence 
of  the  advantage  of  employing  native  agency,  if  only 
to  save  a  needless  sacrifice  of  European  lives,  and  at 
the  same  time  exhibits  what  the  Gospel  can  do,  and  is 
doing,  when  confronted  with  heathenism  on  the  one 
hand  and  a  debased  form  of  Mohammedanism  on  the 
other.  Of  course  the  reader  will  not  imagine  that 
there  have  been  no  failures,  no  disappointments  and 
breakdowns.  In  common  with  mission  work  every- 
where, there  have  been  discouragements  on  the  Niger 
to  try  the  faith  and  patience  of  the  workers.  But  the 
pennon  of  the  Cross  borne  aloft  is  still  advancing,  and 


PItKFACE.  vii 

victory  is  sure  to  those  who  in  His  name  endure  to 
the  end. 

At  a  time  like  the  present,  when  the  horrors  of 
slavery  are  being  once  more  forced  home  upon  the 
English  conscience,  it  is  earnestly  hoped  that  these 
pages  may  do  something  to  awaken  sympathy  for  the 
sufferings  of  those  in  direst  bondage.  Crowther,  let 
it  be  remembered,  was  once  a  slave,  and  he  is  keenly 
sensitive  to  the  woes  and  wretchedness  of  his  unhappy 
brethren  in  Africa.  Had  it  fallen  within  the  province 
of  this  book,  much,  very  much  more,  might  have  been 
said  about  slavery, — it  has  been  indeed  difficult  to 
repress  a  reference  to  the  horrible  tidings  of  deeds 
done  in  Africa  which  week  after  week  shock  even  the 
most  prosaic  of  us  by  their  vileness.  The  knocks  at 
the  door  of  the  English  heart,  once  so  lightly  moved, 
are  many  to-day.  Cardinal  Lavigerie,  Lieutenant 
Wissman,  and  others,  speak  of  that  which  they  have 
seen  until  our  hearts  are  faint  with  the  sickening  re- 
cital, and  last  not  least.  Commander  Cameron  in  a 
recent  article  says,  "  The  time  has  now  come  when 
we  can  no  longer  plead  ignorance  ;  from  missionaries 
of  every  branch  of  the  Catholic  Chm-ch  of  Christ  we 
hear  of  the  sufferings  of  the  negro.  Those  who 
would  raise  the  native  races,  and  abolish  slavery  by 
the  introduction  of  the  arts  of  peace  and  the  extension 
of  legitimate  commerce,  have  been  attacked  by  the 
slave  dealers,  and  a  gentleman  holding  the  position 
of  British  Consul  has  been  stripped  of  his  clothes, 
and  flouted  and  jeered  at  by  the  traders  in  hunian 


Vlil  PKEFACE, 

ficsli."  Tutn  he  closes  vath  a  declaration  which  does 
honour  to  his  spirit,  "  I  am  ready  to  act  up  to  what  I 
write,  and  would  freely  give  my  life  in  the  cause  of 
freedom,  and  will  gladly  co-operate  in  any  possible 
manner,  either  here  or  in  Africa,  with  those  who,  I 
trust,  will  resolve  that  this  disgrace  to  humanity  shall 
no  longer  exist." 

The  observations  of  Bishop  Crowther  on  that  other 
curse  of  Africa,  Mohammedanism,  in  these  pages,  will 
well  repay  the  reader's  consideration.  Few  men  have 
had  a  closer  experience  of  the  real  teaching  and 
practice  of  Islam  than  he,  and  even  his  charitable 
mind  cannot  credit  it  with  the  i^hilosophic  sweetness 
and  light  with  which  it  is  the  fashion  in  some  quarters 
to  invest  the  religion  of  the  false  x^i'op^iet.  It  must 
not  be  forgotten  that  this  religion  is  that  of  the 
slave  driver  and  slave  killer  throughout  the  Dark 
Continent. 

It  only  remains  for  me  to  acknowledge  with  thanks 
the  great  courtesy  I  have  received  from  the  Church 
Missionary  Society,  in  having  placed  at  my  disposal 
the  journals  and  other  literary  material  out  of  which 
this  work  has  been  constructed.  Without  this  invalu- 
able assistance  at  Salisbury  Square  these  pages  could 
nut  have  been  written/ 

Jesse  Pagb, 


^^^\JL^^    it3     ( U  yC-'O^-'^y^  '}1r^^ec^^^y   ^tt-t-fcxi^  '>n-tr\.<^   /Vi^    /ife  C-A-*-*'*-*-^ 


God  speed  thee  ! 
Though  weary  weight  of  years  he  thine, 
Strong  is  thine  heart,  while  rays  Divine 
Upon  thy  pathway  ever  shine. 

God  speed  thee  ! 
To  the  sad  sinner's  heart  of  pain. 
To  the  poor  slave  in  Satan's  chain ; 
Tell  Christ  hath  died  and  risen  again. 

God  speed  thee  ! 
He  knows  their  suffering  and  their  fears. 
He  hears  their  sighing,  counts  their  tears, 
For  Afric's  children  Jesus  cares. 

God  speed  thee! 
Strengthen  thine  hand  to  battle  on, 
Brave  to  contend,  till  from  the  Throne, 
Falls  on  thine  car  the  glad  "Well  done." 

God  speed  thee! 
Thy  day  of  work  will  soon  he  o'er, 
Then  comes  the  eve  of  rest,  and  sure 
The  daivn  of  life  for  evermore. 


ooKteKts. 


CHAP. 

I.  The  Home-Land  of  the  Slave    , 

II.  A  Childhood  of  Slavery  ■  , 

III.  On  the  Threshold  of  the  Work 

IV.  The  Niger  first  Explored 
V.  A  Sorrowful  Retdrn 

VI.  An  Unexpected  and  Happy  Meeting 

VII.  Another  Brave  and  Better  Voyage 

vni.  A  Voyagk  and  a  Wreck  ,  , 

IX.  An  Enforced  Halt — Onitsha      , 


PAGE 

.  13 
.  22 
.  33 
43 
54 
.  63 
.  74 
.  85 
.   96 


XII 


CONTENTS. 


CHAT. 

X.  The  Boy  brcomi:s  thf.  Bishos' 

SI.  r.jNNY  A  Bethel  . 

XII.  TuK  Fruitage  of  thk  Seed 


PAGB 

109 
126 
140 


^lu  ptcjjle  thnt  tonlkcii 
in  !titti'hucsi3  hn\3z  seen 
n  gre;it  light :  they  that 
btuell  in  the  tanb  of  the 
shaisolu  of  bcath,  itjron 
th£in  hath  the  light 
0hinel). 

Isaiah  ix.  2. 


SAMUEL    CROWTHER. 


CHAPTER    I. 

The  Home-Land  of  the  Slave, 


^^iih 


From  Greenland's  icy  mountains, 

From  India's  coral  strarid, 
Where  Afric's  sunny  fountains 

Roll  down  their  golden  sand  ; 
From  many  an  ancient  river, 

From  many  a  palmy  plain 
They  call  us  to  deliver 

Their  land  from  error's  chain." — Heceb. 


-^!^ 


FOB  centuries  the  history  of  Africa  has  been  the 
mystery  and  sorrow  of  the  world.  Up  to  a  time 
still  fresh  in  the  memory  of  om:  grandfathers  the  map 
of  the  Dark  Continent,  dark  in  more  senses  than  one, 
gave  little  trouble  to  the  schoolboy,  being  simply  an 
irregular  coast-line  enclosing  wide  spaces  in  blank, 
trespassed  upon  by  lines  of  almost  guess-work 
boundaries,  and  in  the  middle  thereof  sundry  high 
places  denoted  by  the  romantic  title  of  the  Mountains 
of  the  Moon. 


14  SA:^ruEL  crowther. 

Its  history  is,  strange  to  say,  of  the  oldest  and  the 
youngest.  Amid  the  sands  of  its  northern  deserts  we 
turn  up  the  reHcs  of  a  civiHzation  which  astonished 
Joseph  and  his  brethren,  while  our  knowledge  of  the 
interior  is  but  the  discovery  of  yesterday.  A  weird 
mystery  hangs  over  this  marvellous  land ;  we  know 
not  whether  our  next  step  will  reveal  the  dim  shadowy 
life  of  a  day  when  the  world  was  in  its  early  spring, 
and  awaken  the  echoes  of  a  past  unknown. 

If  it  were  the  purpose  of  the  present  work  to  revive 
the  memories  of  Africa's  remote  glories,  especially 
when  its  Christian  martyrs  and  teachers  swelled  the 
roll  of  the  early  Church,  much  might  be  told  of 
enthralling  interest ;  but  we  have  in  these  pages  to 
tell  the  story  of  our  own  time.  And  yet  the  better 
to  understand  our  ground,  we  must  glance  back  at 
the  growth  of  our  acquaintance  with  the  Dark  Con- 
tinent during  the  last  two  or  three  centuries. 

It  seems  remarkable  that  for  so  many  years  the 
traders  who  were  the  only  European  visitors  to  its 
shores  should  have  remained  contented  with  a 
knowledge  of  the  very  fringe  of  that  vast  land,  making 
few  if  any  efforts  to  penetrate  into  the  interior.  For 
the  discovery  of  the  coast-line  credit  must  be  given  to 
the  Portuguese,  whose  stately  galleons  in  the  fifteenth 
century  touched  in  turn  at  the  Canary  Islands, 
Cape  Verd,  Sierra  Leone,  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and 
round  eastward  up  as  far  as  Cape  Guardafui. 

It  was  two  hundred  years  later  that  the  Dutch 
settled  in  the  southern  districts,  where  still  their 
nationality  makes  itself  known  and  felt.  Nothing 
seems  to  have  been  added  to  our  store  of  information 
about  Africa  until  comparatively  recent  times,  when 


TflF,    nOJIE-LAND    OF    THE    SLAVE.  15 

our  own  couiitr^'ineii  began  to  search  for  the  source  of 
the  Nile.  Neither  the  philosopher's  stone  nor  the  North 
Pole  can  boast  of  more  ardent  and  spirited  discoverers 
than  those  brave  explorers,  who  under  privations  and 
perils  sought  the  secret  spot  where  the  bubbling  watei  s 
of  the  Nile  first  rushed  forth  araid  tangled  grasses  and 
fronded  palms  on  their  way  to  the  sea.  Bruce  traced 
the  Blue  Nile  along  its  devious  course  at  the  end  of  the 
last  century;  but  it  was  only  a  little  more  than 
twenty-five  years  ago  that  Speke  on  his  second  journey 
sent  home  the  message,  "The  Nile  is  settled,"  as 
Grant  and  he  stood  on  the  shores  of  that  magnifi- 
cent inland  lake,  the  Victoria  Nyanza,  from  which 
mighty  source  the  ancient  river  of  Egypt  evidently 
flows. 

Before  then,  however,  other  rivers  had  been  traced 
at  the  price  of  precious  lives,  notably  the  Niger, 
which  Mungo  Park  sighted  in  1796,  and  afterwards 
Denham,  Clapperton,  Laing  and  Lander ;  the  Congo 
where  Tuckey  died  in  1830,  and  the  Zambesi,  by 
whose  banks  David  Livingstone,  in  1854,  made  his 
brave  and  patient  way  while  traversmg  the  Continent. 
But  in  these  later  days  the  "  eye  to  business  "  motive 
has  quickened  interest  and  exploration,  and  European 
States  are  scrambling  for  allotments  of  the  black 
man's  land. 

Of  the  people,  we  know  enough  to  awaken  our  pity 
rather  than  our  admiration.  If  they  are  accounted 
naturally  indolent,  it  is  because  in  their  native 
condition  there  is  no  necessity  to  put  forth  energy, 
save  in  war.  A  distinguished  man,  who  has  recently 
visited  them,  assures  us  that  when  an  opportunity 
presents   itself    they   can   work   as   hard   and    more 


16  SAMUEL  CROWTHER. 

patiently  than  otliers.  Their  intellectual  capacit}^ 
and  painstaking  studies,  the  subsequent  pages  of 
this  book  will  verify  in  the  life  of  one  of  Alrica's 
worthiest  sons. 

Many  have  treated  the  black  man  as  having  no 
mind,  and  more  have  virtually  denied  him  a  soul. 
That  he  has  both,  however,  is  the  growing  conviction 
of  the  Christian  Church  to-day,  and  she  is  anxious 
to  vindicate  her  responsibility  in  support  of  this.  The 
spiritual  condition  of  the  Africans  is  curious  and 
distressing.  Taking  the  population  to  be  about  two 
hundred  millions,  quite  three-fourths  of  them  are 
utter  heathen,  living  in  the  densest  darkness  of 
superstition  and  sin.  The  immense  majority  of  the 
other  fourth  are  followers  of  the  false  prophet,  and 
the  spiritual  conquest  of  Africa  by  the  green  flag  of 
Mohammed  is  still  actively  pressed  to-day. 

There  are  a  few  Jews  living  on  the  shores  of  the 
blue  Mediterranean  Sea,  and  of  course  Christianity 
is  not  without  its  witnesses.  Also,  besides  the 
Eoman  Catholics  and  Protestants,  there  are  the 
Copts  and  Abyssinians.  But,  speaking  generally, 
the  natives  of  Africa  profess  two  religions,  one  of 
Mohammed,  the  False  Prophet,  and  the  other  of  the 
Devil  in  multiplication.  Of  the  former  we  shall  have 
something  to  say  in  the  later  pages  of  this  work,  for 
it  is  the  key  to  much  of  the  misery  of  this  sad  land. 
But  even  in  those  districts  where  Mohammedanism  lias 
got  the  firmest  hold,  it  has  not  superseded,  but  rather 
grafted  itself  upon  the  superstitious  demon  worship 
of  the  natives  everywhere. 

In  a  fearfully  real  sense,  to  the  African  "the  things 
which  are  seen  are  temporal,  and  the  things  which 


THE   HOME-LAND   OF   THE   SLAVE.  17 

are  not  seen  are  eternal."  His  terror  is  the  environ- 
ment of  evil  spirits,  peopling  the  air,  hiding  in  the 
trees,  whispering  in  the  wavelets  of  the  stream,  seated 
on  the  crest  of  every  hill,  and  lurking  in  the  rank 
grasses  of  the  plain.  From  this  ubiquitous  company 
of  devils  the  poor  negro  can  never  hope  to  be  free. 

We  have  only  then  to  add,  that  these  satanic 
agencies  are  all  credited  with  a  vindictive  hatred  to 
the  human  race,  to  complete  the  picture  of  unspeak- 
able and  oppressive  horror  which  crouches  like  a 
nightmare  upon  the  hearts  of  the  African  people.  In 
their  wretched  dread  they  are  for  ever  making  friends 
with  these  demons,  propitiating  them  not  unfre- 
quently  with  the  sacrifice  of  human  life. 

No  wonder,  then,  that  witchcraft  is  everywhere,  and 
that  the  medicine  man,  like  the  Eomish  prelate  of  the 
Middle  Ages,  can  strike  a  terrified  submission  even 
into  the  heart  of  kings.  Tetzel  with  his  indulgence 
business  never  did  so  well  as  they  ;  to  make  a  charm 
nothing  comes  amiss — a  stone,  a  bit  of  bone  or  filthy 
rag,  a  shell,  a  leaf,  an  animal  or  a  piece  of  it,  any  of 
these  will  do  as  a  fetish,  with  power  to  exorcise  the 
evil  spirit.  The  priest's  hand,  true  of  superstition 
everywhere,  has  in  Africa  its  black  grasp  on  the 
substance  of  the  poor. 

Here,  too,  is  evidence  of  that  declaration  of  Holy 
Writ,  that  "the  dark  places  of  the  earth  are  full  of 
the  habitations  of  cruelty."  The  "  customs  "  of  the 
country  show  an  utter  disregard  of  human  life;  and 
in  the  western  districts,  with  which  these  pages  will 
have  more  especially  to  do,  it  will  be  seen  that  a 
wholesale  slaughter  often  follows  the  death  of  a 
king,  in  order  that  he  may  be  suitably  accompanied 

0 


18  SAIHUEL  CROWTHER. 

to  the  land  of  shadows.  The  cruel  and  pitiless 
character  of  paganism  is  here  fully  revealed. 

In  one  respect,  at  least,  the  superstitious  fear  of  the 
poor  African  is  well  founded,  for  upon  his  country 
has  settled  an  evil  spirit  in  verity  and  truth,  and  that 
demon  is  called  Slavery.  In  the  mere  mention  of 
that  word,  with  the  knowledge  of  what  it  means,  one 
realises  how  weak  at  the  strongest  is  language  to  ex- 
press the  truth.  Words  of  burning  flame  are  wanted 
to  describe  this  awful  curse.  There  was  a  time  when 
the  hearts  of  the  English  people  were  thrilled  and 
shocked  with  their  own  responsibility  in  the  matter, 
and  we  made  perhaps  the  costliest  sacrifice  in  history 
for  the  sake  of  moral  xn-inciple.  It  became  high 
time  to  act.  A  hundred  years  ago  our  ships  carried 
their  share  of  38,000,  out  of  74,000  slaves,  exported 
annually,  and  Granville  Sharp  sent  the  Lord  Chan- 
cellor a  cutting  from  a  newspaper,  advertising  the 
sale  of  a  black  girl,  at  a  public-house  in  the  Strand ! 
There  is  no  need  to  tell  the  story  over  again.  Wilber- 
force  as  well  as  Wellington  will  be  never  forgotten, 
for  "peace  hath  her  victories  as  well  as  war."  The 
patient  and  prayerful  agitation  of  years  was  crowned 
by  the  passing  of  an  Act  of  Parliament,  which  struck 
the  fetters  from  the  slave  on  English  ground.  Imme- 
diately our  cruisers  appeared  in  African  waters  to 
capture  the  slave  dhows,  and  set  the  living  freights 
at  liberty. 

But  while  curtailed  by  our  watchfulness  of  the  coast, 
the  trade  in  "  black  ivory  "  still  throve,  and  we  are 
ashamed  to  say  thrives  still,  in  the  interior  of  Africa. 
To  arrest  this  we  have  spent  lives  more  precious  than 
gold.     One  of  the  first,  best,  and  noblest  friends  Africa 


20  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

ever  had,  David  Livingstone,  telling  his  countrymen  of 
the  desolating  wrongs  of  the  slave  trade,  besought  them 
to  "heal  this  open  sore  of  the  world."  And  when 
weary  with  his  wanderings  he  laid  himself  down  to  die 
on  the  grass  at  Ilala,  he  breathed  his  last,  as  he  would 
have  wished,  on  the  soil  of  the  land  for  which  he  had 
worked  and  prayed.  Ajid  Gordon  too,  the  fearless 
Christian  knight  whose  very  name  makes  the  heart 
beat  more  quickly,  all  the  world  knows  how  in  Lower 
Egypt  he  drove  back  what  seemed  the  irresistible 
progress  of  Arab  slave-trading ;  and  in  his  supreme 
moment  of  victory  and  defeat  he  also  poured  out  his 
blood  upon  the  desert  sand  of  that  Africa  he  loved  so 
well. 

We  have  called  it  the  home-land  of  the  slave  because 
from  its  shores  he  is  dragged  a  helpless  and  illtreated 
exile.  With  all  its  pains  and  sorrows  it  is  still  his 
home.  To  it  in  many  a  moment  of  lonely  and  distant 
captivity  he  turns  his  thoughts  again,  and  on  the 
threshold  of  another  world  his  longings  lie  towards 
Africa.  Longfellow  has  beautifully  expressed  this  in 
his  well-known  poem,  a  few  verses  of  which  shall  close 
this  chapter. 

Beside  the  ungathered  rice  he  lay, 

His  sickle  in  his  hand  ; 
His  breast  was  bare,  his  matted  hair 

Was  buried  in  the  sand, 
Again  in  the  mist  and  shadow  of  sleep 

He  saw  his  native  land. 

Wide  through  the  landscape  of  his  dreams 

The  lordly  Niger  ilowed, 
Beneath  the  palm  trees  in  the  plain 

Once  more  a  king  he  strode, 
And  heard  the  tinkling  caravans 

Descend  the  mountain  road. 


THE    HOME-LAND   OF   THE   SLAVE. 


21 


He  saw  once  more  his  dark-eyed  queen 

Among  her  children  stand, 
They  clasped  his  neck,  they  kissed  his  cheek, 

They  held  liim  by  the  hand  ! 
A  tear  burst  from  the  sleeper's  lids, 

And  fell  into  the  sand. 

•7<-  *  -x-  ■)«•  45- 

The  forest  with  their  myriad  tongues 

Shouted  of  liberty ; 
And  the  blast  of  the  desert  cried  aloud, 

With  a  voice  so  wild  and  free. 
That  he  started  in  his  sleep  and  smiled 

At  their  tempestuous  glee. 

He  did  not  feel  the  driver's  whip 

Nor  the  burning  heat  of  day, 
For  death  had  illummed  the  land  of  sleep. 

And  his  lifeless  body  lay 
A  worn  out  fetter  which  the  soul 

Had  broken  and  thrown  away. 


CHAPTER   II. 

A  Childhood  of  Slavery. 

"  Let  the  Indian,  let  the  Negro, 
Let  the  rude  Larbariau  see, 
That  Divine  and  glorious  conquest 
Once  obtained  on  Calvary, 

Let  the  Gospel 
Loud  resound  from  pole  to  pole." — Williams. 
-^i^ 

HAVING  now  glanced  at  Africa  as  a  whole,  we  will 
set  our  foot  upon  the  banks  of  the  lordly  Niger, 
which  will  be  the  scene  of  the  wonderful  story  of 
God's  providence  and  grace  which  this  volume  seeks 
to  tell.  This  river,  second  only  in  depth  and  import- 
ance to  the  Nile,  cannot  boast  of  a  like  classic  history ; 
but  it  is  now  full  of  memories  of  faithful  work  and 
endeavour,  none  the  less  valuable  or  interesting  that 
they  pertain  to  the  present  century. 

All  round  the  Dark  Continent,  with  few  breaks,  is 
an  invisible  rampart  of  pestilence,  the  fever  boundary 
which  no  European  can  attempt  to  pass  without  a 
risk,  and  often  a  loss,  of  life.  In  some  places,  however, 
the  danger  is  deepest ;  and  because  this  is  true  of  the 


A   CHILDHOOD   OF   SLAVERY.  23 

Gold  Coast,  it  has  been  aptly  and  pathetically  called 
"the  white  man's  grave."  At  this  point  the  Niger 
enters  the  sea,  not  with  a  broad  expanse  of  rushing 
water  like  most  rivers,  but  spreading  out  into  a 
number  of  outlets  as  it  slowly  creeps  through  thickets 
of  mangrove  trees,  over  stretches  of  poisonous  slime 
to  the  ocean.  This  forms  the  Niger  delta,  spreading 
along  the  shore  for  over  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles. 

A  French  traveller,  M.  Adolphe  Burdo,  has  vividly 
described  this  terrible  labyrmth  of  creeks,  in  which 
utterly  lost  and  disheartened  his  Kroomen  despaired. 
Again  and  again  did  they  attempt  some  new  passage, 
pushing  their  way  between  the  interlacing  mangrove 
branches  along  which  the  serpents  crawled.  A  more 
desolate  region  can  hardly  be  imagined. 

In  its  course  of  nearly  two  thousand  miles  this 
river  waters  some  of  the  most  degraded  and  unhappy 
districts  of  Africa.  Between  its  western  arm  and  the 
sea-coast  lies  the  country  of  the  Yoruba  people,  natives 
who  have  suffered  more  perhaps  than  other  tribes 
from  the  desolations  and  cruelties  of  the  slave  trade. 
The  people  pride  themselves  on  a  remote  ancestry, 
and  Captain  Clapperton  was  informed,  by  a  curious 
geographical  work  he  met  with,  written  by  a  chief, 
that  the  Yoruba  nation  "originated  from  the  remnant 
of  the  children  of  Canaan,  who  were  of  the  tribe  of 
Nimrod."  Whether  this  be  founded  on  fact  or  not, 
it  is  enough  for  us  to  know  that  out  of  this  dark 
region  God  caused  a  light  to  shine,  and  called  forth 
one  who  should  become  a  shepherd  to  these  souls.  A 
stream  of  life  history  starting  from  the  humblest 
source,  and  with  these  lowly  beginnings,  the  career 
of  Bishop  Crowther  commenced  to  uni'oli]. 


24  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

Early  in  the  year  1821,  in  the  midst  of  the  Eyo  or 
Yoruba  country,  a  devastating  war  was  being  waged. 
The  army  of  the  Mohammedan  Foulah  tribe,  swelled 
by  a  miscellaneous  crowd  of  escaped  slaves  and 
man-stealers,  ravaged  the  country  to  right  and  left. 
Sweeping  everything  before  them,  they  came  at  last 
to  Oshogun,  a  flourishing  town  mustering  three 
thousand  fighting  men.  The  ill-fated  inhabitants 
had  no  warning.  In  most  of  the  huts  the  women  were 
peacefully  preparing  the  morning  meal,  and  the  men 
were  either  absent  or  had  no  time  to  seize  their 
weapons.  Fierce  warriors  surrounded  the  fence  which 
protected  the  town.  A  short,  sharp  struggle  ensued ; 
the  six  gates  were  broken  through,  and  the  victors 
poured  mto  the  town.  Here  all  was  panic  and 
despair.  Terrified  women  caught  up  their  little  ones, 
and  bidding  the  elder  children  to  follow,  tried  to 
escape  in  the  bush.  In  many  cases,  however,  they 
fatally  impeded  themselves  with  baggage  from  their 
huts.  The  Foulahs  swiftly  pursued  them,  flinging 
lassoes  over  their  heads  and  drawing  them  half- 
choked  back  into  their  hands. 

In  one  of  the  huts  at  this  supreme  moment  rushed 
again  a  father  to  beg  his  family  to  flee ;  and  then,  the 
warning  given,  he  hurried  back  to  the  front  to  die  in 
their  defence.  His  wife,  like  the  others,  hastened  to 
the  bush  with  her  little  niece  and  three  children; 
one  an  infant  of  ten  months,  and  the  eldest  a  boy  of 
twelve  years  and  a  half,  who,  child  as  he  was,  valiantly 
seized  his  bow  and  arrows  to  protect  them.  This 
little  fellow  was  Adjai,  the  future  Bishop  of  the  Niger. 
They  too,  however,  in  their  turn,  were  captured,  and, 
tied  together  with  ropes,  were  led  out  of  the  burning 


A  CHILDHOOD  OF   SLAVERY. 


25 


town.  As  they  passed  along  the  blazmg  streets  they 
saw  many  wounded  and  dying  men  lying,  where  they 
had  been  struck  down,  at  their  own  doors. 

After  twenty  miles'  weary  marching  they  reached  a 
town,  and  caught  a  glimpse  of  some  of  their  relations  in 


FOULAH    CAPTURING    LITTLE    ADJAI. 

the  same  miserable  plight.  The  usual  barbarities  of  the 
slave-march  followed.  The  old  and  infirm,  being  no 
longer  able  to  respond  to  the  whips  of  their  captors, 
were  mercilessly  killed,  or  left,  with  less  compassion,  on 
the  wayside  to  die  of  hunger  and  exposure.  At  midnight 


2G  SAMUEL   GROWTH ER,. 

they  reached  the  town  of  Iseh-n,  where  to  their  great 
rehef,  as  the  morning  broke,  they  were  freed  from  their 
galling  ropes  and  hurried  in  a  body  into  the  presence  of 
the  chief.  He  forthwith  began  to  allot  them  as  slaves 
and  spoil  of  war  to  his  warriors.  That  is,  one  half 
were  claimed  by  the  chief,  and  the  other  half  by  the 
soldiers.  Little  Adjai  and  his  sister  became  the 
property  of  the  chief ;  his  mother,  with  her  infant  in 
arms,  was  quickly  transferred  to  other  hands.  This 
was  the  first  time  the  little  lad  had  been  separated 
from  his  mother,  and  great  of  course  was  his  grief. 

The  boy  was  exchanged  for  a  horse,  but  the  bargain 
not  being  satisfactory,  he  was  taken  to  the  slave 
market  of  Dah'-dah,  where  to  his  great  delight  he  met 
with  his  mother  again,  and  for  three  months  enjoyed 
comparative  liberty,  having  the  precious  privilege  of 
seemg  his  parent  whenever  he  wished.  But  one  sad 
evening  a  man  came  and  suddenly  bound  him,  and 
he  was  carried  away  on  the  march  again.  By  his 
side  trudged  another  little  boy,  who  had  also  been 
torn  from  the  arms  of  his  mother,  and  cried  bitterly. 
They  were  dragged  along  for  several  days,  one  hand 
being  chained  to  tlieir  neck ;  then  Adjai  was  sold  to  a 
Mohammedan  woman,  and  with  her  travelled  to  the 
Popo  country,  on  the  coast  where  the  Portuguese  came 
to  buy  slaves.  As  he  passed  on  his  way,  towns  and 
villages  smoked  in  the  ruin  which  the  enemy  had 
wrought,  and  in  some  of  the  market-places  five  or  six 
heads  were  nailed  to  the  large  trees  as  a  warning  to 
all  who  did  not  willingly  submit. 

Although  his  mistress  was  kind  to  her  little  captive 
boy,  a  great  dread  seized  upon  his  mind ;  and  he 
determmed  to  destroy  himself,  sooner  than  be  sold 


28  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

into  the  hands  of  the  white  man.  It  seems  very 
shocking  that  the  thought  of  suicide  should  gloom 
the  mind  of  one  so  young;  but  a  merciful  God, 
who  had  marked  him  out  as  a  chosen  vessel  in  His 
service,  overruled  and  prevented  the  rash  intention. 
Though  he  tried  to  strangle  himself  with  his  waist- 
band, his  courage  failed  him  when  he  held  the  noose 
in  his  hand ;  and  it  is  remarkable  that  the  thought 
of  usmg  a  knife,  which  was  always  ready  at  hand, 
never  occurred  to  his  mind. 

Before  very  long  they  approached  the  district  where 
the  Portuguese  would  be  prepared  to  treat  for  the 
purchase  of  slaves,  and  here  before  he  saw  the  dreaded 
white  men  he  was  given  a  few  sips  of  the  white  man's 
evn  spirit,  a  strong  and  unpurified  rum.  Then,  still 
pinioned  to  prevent  escape,  the  little  slave  boy  was 
brought  to  the  edge  of  a  river ;  and  as  this  was  the 
first  time  he  had  seen  so  much  water,  he  was  much 
terrified  thereat.  So  paralysed  with  fear  was  he  that 
he  could  not  obey  the  command  of  his  driver  to  enter 
the  stream  to  reach  the  boat,  so  he  was  lifted  in  bodily, 
and  hid  himself  among  some  corn  bags  in  the  bottom 
of  the  canoe.  The  night  came  on,  and  through  these 
fearful  hours  poor  little  Adjai  expected  every  minute 
would  be  his  last.  Dreadful  indeed  was  his  terror  at 
the  sound  of  the  waves  as  they  dashed  against  the 
sides  of  the  canoe.  He  had  no  more  desire  to  end  his 
career,  as  he  had  purposed,  by  casting  himself  over- 
board. 

Having  reached  the  other  side  of  the  river,  he  was, 
with  his  fellow-slaves,  allowed  his  liberty,  for  escape 
was  impossible.  After  landing  he  was  then  employed 
as    storekeeper    at    his    master's    house   at    Lagos. 


A   CHILDHOOD   OF  SLAVERY.  29 

Then,  for  the  first  time,  he  encountered  the  white 
man,  a  spectacle  as  curious  and  alarming  to  him  as 
the  first  impressions  of  a  black  man  would  be  to  a 
European  boy.  This  Portuguese,  who  eventually  pur- 
chased him,  made  a  close  examination  of  the  points 
of  little  Adjai,  as  he  would  of  a  horse,  and  then, 
with  a  number  of  other  unhappy  captives,  he  was 
attached  by  a  padlock  round  his  neck  to  a  long  chain, 
very  heavy  and  distressing  to  bear.  Here  they  were 
stowed  in  a  barracoon,  or  slave  hut,  almost  suffo- 
cated with  the  heat,  and  on  the  slightest  provocation 
cruell}^  beaten  with  long  whips. 

Early  one  morning  they  were  hurriedly  placed  on 
board  a  slaver,  one  hundred  and  eighty  seven  in 
number,  packed  in  fearful  contact  in  the  hold,  the 
living  and  the  dying  and  the  dead.  Sea-sickness, 
hunger,  thirst,  and  the  blows  of  their  inhuman 
masters  made  these  poor  half-expiring  wretches  long 
for  the  end.  But  just  at  this  extremity  of  suffering 
and  helplessness  came  God's  provided  opportunity. 

Two  English  men-of-war,  cruising  about  the  coast, 
caught  sight  of  the  slave-ship  and  gave  chase.  A 
brief  resistance,  and  the  sailors  boarded  her  decks 
and  at  once  liberated  her  human  cargo,  transhipping 
them  to  the  men-of-war.  The  master  and  slave- 
drivers  were  placed  in  irons,  and  the  black  men, 
hardly  yet  realising  that  they  were  in  the  hands  of 
friends,  stood  on  the  British  decks  looking  on  with 
astonishment,  not  unmingled  with  fear. 

An  amusing  instance  of  their  suspicious  and  ground- 
less misgivings  was  that  they  mistook  the  sight  of 
a  hog,  partly  cut  up  and  hanging  to  the  rigging,  for 
the   body   of  one   of  their   own   fellows,   which   the 


80  SAMUEL  CROWTHER. 

English  were  going  to  eat.  This  idea  was  further 
strengthened  by  the  appearance  of  a  number  of 
cannon  balls,  which  they  concluded  must  be  the  heads 
of  their  unfortunate  comrades.  Soon,  however,  they 
were  relieved  on  this  score,  and  showed  in  every  way 
they  could  the  gratitude  which  was  in  their  hearts 
for  their  liberation  from  such  cruel  bondage. 

The  two  vessels,  full  of  freed  slaves,  made  for  Sierra 
Leone.  One  was  wrecked  in  a  storm,  and  lost  all 
hands,  including  one  hundred  and  two  slaves;  the 
other,  with  Adjai  on  board,  reached  Bathurst  in 
safety. 

Here  is  a  wonderful  indication  of  the  working  of 
the  Divine  overruling  of  events.  One  of  the  vessels 
which  had  captured  the  slaver  was  H.M.S.  Myrmidon, 
and  upon  the  deck,  engaged  in  rescuing  little  Adjai 
and  his  companions  was  a  young  officer,  whose 
son  years  afterwards  was  the  devoted  and  useful 
Lieutenant  Shergold  Smith,  the  leader  of  the  mis- 
sionary enterprise  on  Lake  Nyanza. 

Shortly  afterwards  Adjai  and  the  other  slaves  were 
sent  from  Freetown,  whither  they  had  been  taken,  to 
Bathurst,  and  returned  for  a  short  time  in  order  to 
give  evidence  against  their  former  Portuguese  owners ; 
then,  coming  back,  they  were  placed  under  wise  and 
kindly  care.  But  it  will  be  necessary,  in  order  to 
clearly  understand  why  this  provision  was  already 
made  for  the  reception  of  these  poor  slaves,  to  retrace 
a  few  steps  of  history. 

The  long  struggle  of  twenty  years  to  impress  the 
mind  of  England  with  the  horrors  and  inhumanity  of 
the  traffic  in  flesh  and  blood  was  becoming  more  and 
more  desperate.     The  famous  decision  of  Lord  Chief 


A  CinLDHOOD   OF  SLAVERY. 


81 


Justice  Mansfield  had  been  delivered  in  1772.  Thir- 
teen years  later  Thomas  Clarkson  drew  public  atten- 
tion to  the  subject  by  his  prize  essay  at  Cambridge 
University.  Long  before  the  passing  of  the  Act,  the 
agitation  in  the  interest  of  the  slave  was  carried  on 
by  the  Abolition  Society ;  and  in  1787  Mr.  Granville 

Sharp  took  charge  of  

a  crowd  of  four  hun- 
dred negroes,  and 
formed  a  settlement 
for  them  on  the  West 
Coast  of  Africa.  This 
projecting  piece  of 
land,  from  its  resem- 
blance to  a  lion,  re- 
ceived the  name  of 
Sierra  Leone ;  and 
here,  where  slavery 
had  hitherto  been 
most  prevalent,  a  co- 
lony had  been  formed 
under  British  protec- 
tion as  a  rescue  home 
for  liberated  Africans. 
But  the  congregation 
of  so  many  degraded 
and  lawless  men  soon 

produced  anarchy  and  trouble  in  the  colony,  the 
moral  condition  of  the  blacks  was  disgraceful,  and 
the  prospects  of  the  success  of  the  enterprise  seemed 
very  remote.  However,  what  man  caniiot  do  God 
will  accomplish,  and  in  1816  missionaries  were  sent 
thither  by  the  Church  Missionary  Society ;  and  after 


82  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

much  toil  and  constantly  recurring  deaths  of  the  de- 
voted workers,  the  blessing  of  the  Almighty  was  seen. 
In  1822  the  Lord  Chief  Justice  publicly  stated  that 
in  a  population  of  10,000  there  were  only  six  cases  for 
trial,  and  not  one  from  any  village  under  the  super- 
intendence of  a  village  schoolmaster.  This  gratifying 
fact  was  noted  at  the  very  time  when  the  future 
Bishop  of  the  Niger,  then  a  little  liberated  slave-boy, 
had  been  landed  at  the  place. 

The  climate  was  found  to  be  most  deadly  for 
Europeans,  and  during  the  first  twenty  years  of  the 
Mission  fifty-three  missionaries  or  their  wives  had 
succumbed  to  the  malaria.  But  as  fast  as  gaps 
were  made  in  the  army  of  brave  hearts,  others  came 
from  England  to  fill  their  place;  and  so  by  con- 
stantly renewing  the  earnest  helpers,  the  work  was 
graciously  crowned  with  success. 

Little  Adjai  exhibited  a  proficiency  for  study,  and 
under  the  care  of  the  Mission  schoolmaster  made 
good  progress.  We  are  told  that  when  his  first  day 
at  school  was  over  he  hastened  into  the  town  and 
begged  a  halfpenny  from  one  of  the  negroes  to  buy 
an  alphabet  card,  all  for  himself.  He  became  in  time 
a  monitor,  and  received  for  that  official  position 
sevenpence-halfpenny  a  month  ;  but,  best  of  all,  it 
was  here  that  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  unto  the 
little  freed  slave,  and  gave  him  a  liberty  from  the 
condemnation  of  sin  which  filled  his  heart  with  new 
joy.  He  was  baptized  on  the  11th  December,  1825, 
by  the  Eev.  J.  Eaben,  taking  the  name  of  Samuel 
Crowther,  by  which  name  we  shall  henceforth  speak 
of  him  as  we  pass  along  his  interesting  and  useful 
career. 


CHAPTER     III. 

On  the  Threshold  of  the  Work. 
* 


"  0  for  a  thousand  tongues  to  sing 
My  great  Redeemer's  praise, 
The  glories  of  my  God  and  King, 
The  triumphs  of  His  grace. 

"  My  gracious  Master  and  my  God, 
Assist  me  to  proclaim, 
To  spread  through  all  the  earth  abroad, 
The  honours  of  Thy  name." — Wesley. 


•^Hr'- 


THE  wonderful  improvements  which  followed  the 
introduction  of  Christianity  into  the  disorderly- 
colony  of  freed  slaves  at  Sierra  Leone  was  in  no  small 
degree  due  to  the  earnest  and  practical  efforts  put 
forth  in  finding  something  for  their  idle  hands  and 
undisciplined  brains  to  do.  Trades  were  taught  the 
people ;  and,  generally  speaking,  notwithstanding  the 
common  imputation  that  the  negro  is  naturally  a  lazy 
fellow,  these  liberated  slaves  took  to  their  handicrafts 
remarkably  well.  We  have  it  on  the  authority  of 
Professor  Drummond,  who  has  so  recently  had  an 
opportunity  from  his  own  observation  of  the  natives 

D 


S4  SAMUEL    CROWTIIER. 

of  tropical  Africa,  that  to  blame  the  African  for  being 
lazy  is  a  misuse  of  words.  "  He  does  not  need  to 
work ;  with  so  bountiful  a  nature  round  him  it  would 
bo  gratuitous  to  work.  And  his  indolence,  therefore, 
as  it  is  called,  is  just  as  much  a  part  of  himself  as  his 
flat  nose,  and  as  little  blameworthy  as  slowness  is  to 
a  tortoise.  The  fact  is  Africa  is  a  nation  of  the  un- 
employed." When  we  free  him  from  the  forced 
servitude  of  the  slave-driver  we  must  fmd  him  employ- 
ment elsewhere,  and  with  proper  tact  and  encourage- 
ment ho  will  soon  work  away  with  a  will. 

Samuel  Crowther,  settling  down  under  such  patient 
training,  was  instructed  in  that  branch  of  human 
labour  which  will  ever  be  surrounded  with  sacred 
memories.  As  a  carpenter  he  soon  showed  a  pro- 
ficiency in  the  use  of  the  chisel  and  plane,  and  in 
after  years  this  abihty  to  work  for  himself  and  for 
others  became  exceedingly  useful  to  him.  But  not 
only  were  his  hands  employed,  but  his  mind  began 
to  drink  with  avidity  from  the  stores  of  human 
knowledge  and  education.  Naturally  studious  and 
intellectual,  the  future  Bishop  yearned  after  more 
liglit. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  imagine  with  what  wild  joy 
he  received  the  announcement  that  his  kind  friends, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davey,  vrould  take  him  with  them  on  a 
visit  to  England.  This  was  in  1826  ;  and  in  due  time 
he  caught  the  first  glimpse  of  the  white  cliffs  of  that 
wonderful  land  about  whose  power  and  influence  he 
had  already  heard  so  much.  The  ship  reached  Ports- 
mouih  on  the  16th  August ;  and  shortly  afterwards, 
during  his  stay  of  three  or  four  months  in  London, 
young  Adjai  became  a  pupil  in  the  parochial  school  at 


ON  THE  THRESHOLD  OF  THE  WORK.       85 

Islington.  These  schools  still  remain,  overlooking  the 
leafy  churchyard  of  the  Chapel-of-Ease;  but  in  the 
days  when  the  youthful  Growther  came  to  work  for 
the  first  time  by  the  side  of  English  boys,  Islington 
was  still  a  merrie  village  famous  for  its  country  walks 
and  new  milk.  Altogether  he  was  not  in  England 
more  than  a  year,  but  doubtless  he  made  good  use  of 
his  eyes  and  ears  in  making  acquaintance  with 
English  life  and  manners. 

Meanwhile  the  educational  movement,  inaugurated 
by  the  Church  Missionary  Society  at  Sierra  Leone,  was 
making  good  progress,  and  the  Industrial  Boarding 
School  had  developed  into  its  original  plan  of  a  real 
Christian  institution,  the  centre  of  a  network  of 
capital  schools  in  the  districts  around.  Hence  it  was 
proposed  to  utilise  the  place  as  a  nursery  for  training 
native  teachers,  and  an  excellent  clergyman,  the  Eev. 
C.  L.  F,  Haensel,  went  out  in  February,  1827,  to 
superintend  its  establishment.  This  became  in  due 
time  Fourah  Bay  College ;  and  the  first  name  of  the 
half-dozen  native  youths  who  are  entered  on  its  roll 
of  students  is  that  of  Samuel  Crowther. 

As  we  have  shown,  the  fatality  of  the  climate  to 
Europeans  gave  urgency  to  this  effort  to  train  others, 
who  did  not  suffer  from  the  same  physical  danger,  to 
labour  in  this  field.  It  was  high  time  that  something 
should  be  done.  The  Gold  Coast  had  earned  an  awful 
name,  and  again  and  again  its  fever-stricken  shores 
became  whitened  with  the  bones  of  the  stranger. 
"  The  churchyard  at  Kissy,"  writes  Bishop  Vidal  years 
afterwards,  "  with  its  multiplied  memories  of  those 
not  lost  but  gone  before,  is  a  silent  but  eloquent 
witness  to  the  kind  of  schooling  which  the  missionary 


36  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

for  Africa  requires."  Very  graciously  God  blessed  the 
new  venture,  and  it  became  a  spiritual  home  from 
which,  from  time  to  time,  its  sons  sallied  forth,  full 
of  faith  and  zeal,  to  preach  the  unsearchable  riches  of 
the  Gospel  to  their  brethren  after  the  flesh. 

Crowther  made  progress,  and  became  an  assistant 
teacher  in  the  College,  and  this  mark  of  confidence  and 
respect  was  quite  a  turning  point  in  his  career.  He 
who  was  in  the  Providence  of  God  to  rise  to  such  an 
honourable  position  in  the  church,  never  forgot  the 
humility  of  those  early  days,  and  with  gratitude  he  was 
moved  to  say  in  a  letter  at  this  time,  speaking  of  the 
moment  of  his  being  carried  into  captivity : 

"From  this  period  I  must  date  the  unhappy,  but 
which  I  am  ever  taught  in  other  respects  to  call  blessed, 
day  which  I  shall  never  forget  in  my  life.  I  call  it  an 
unhappy  day,  because  it  was  the  day  on  v^hich  I  was 
violently  turned  out  of  my  father's  house  and  separated 
from  my  relatives,  and  in  which  I  was  made  to 
experience  what  is  called  to  be  in  slavery.  With 
regard  to  its  being  called  blessed,  it  was  the  day 
which  Providence  had  marked  out  for  me  to  set  out  on 
my  journey  from  the  land  of  heathenism,  superstition 
and  vice,  to  a  place  where  the  Gospel  is  preached." 

This  thankfulness,  which  welled  up  from  his  heart, 
shaped  itself  into  a  determination,  so  far  as  God  should 
give  him  opportunity  and  ability,  to  work  among  his 
own  people,  teaching  them  as  he  had  been  taught,  and 
leading  them  also  to  the  Saviour  who  had  manifested 
Himself  to  him. 

By  his  side,  in  those  early  and  happy  days  at 
Bathurst,  a  little  girl,  taken  like  himself  from  the  deck 
of  a  slave  ship,  was  taught  with  him  in  the  same 


ON  THE  THRESUOLD  OF  THE  WORK. 


37 


house.  They  grew  up  together,  and  in  due  tune  she 
being  a  Christian,  was  baptized  from  her  native  name 
Asano  into  the  name  of  Susanna.  They  grew  fond  of 
each  other,  and  after  a  happy  period  of  courtship, 
which  is  the  same  sweet  old  story  in  Africa  ag 
elsewhere,  they  were  married.     It  was  the  beginning 


THE    COLLEGE,    FOURAH    BAY. 


of  a  long  and  blissful  union,  in  which  God  blessed 
them  with  dutiful  and  useful  children.  One  of  them, 
theEev.Dandeson  Coates  Crowther,is  now  Archdeacon 
of  his  father's  diocese ;  two  others  are  doing  well  as 
influential  and  godly  laymen,  and  of  his  three 
daughters  two  have  been  married  to  native   clergy- 


38  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

men,  and  are  their  faithful  helpmeets  in  the  service 
of  our  Lord. 

In  the  year  1830  Crowther  was  appointed  from  the 
College  to  the  care  of  a  school  at  Regent's  Town,  and 
his  wife  was  officially  associated  with  him  as  school- 
mistress. Two  years  after  they  were  promoted  to  still 
more  important  duties  at  Wellington ;  and  finally  he 
came  back  to  the  College  on  the  instaUation  of  the 
Eev.  G.  A.  Kissling,  who  afterwards  became  Archdeacon 
of  New  Zealand,  as  the  new  principal.  Here  for 
some  years  was  Crowther's  sphere  of  work ;  and  it  is 
gratifying  to  notice,  that  several  who  came  under  his 
training  at  this  period  were  afterwards  ordamed  and 
appointed  as  government  chaplains  at  important 
stations  on  the  coast. 

In  one  respect  Crowther  has  the  same  invaluable 
gift  as  Patteson,  a  natural  aptitude  for  languages; 
and  in  his  work  at  the  College  and  elsewhere  he 
showed  how  great  an  advantage  he  possessed  in 
dealing  with  the  chiefs  and  headmen  of  the  district. 
Tliis  marked  him  out  for  notice  at  a  critical  moment 
which  was  approaching. 

In  the  year  1841  the  mind  of  England  was  greatly 
excited  with  a  proposal,  set  on  foot  by  Her  Majesty's 
Government,  to  explore  the  river  Niger.  In  a  memo- 
randum from  Lord  John  Russell,  then  Colonial  Secre- 
tary, it  was  explained  to  the  Lords  of  the  Treasury  that 
such  an  expedition,  suitably  manned  and  equipped, 
would  open  up  a  new  field  for  British  commerce,  and 
at  the  same  time  materially  assist  in  putting  down 
that  infamous  system  of  slavery  which  the  English 
people  so  deplored.  Prince  Albert,  then  in  the  vigour 
of  young  manhood,  and  zealous  as  he  always  was  of 


ON  THE  1URESH0LD  OF  THE  WORK.       39 

good  works,  warmly  espoused  the  idea,  and  the  sonfci- 
meiit  of  the  people  was  in  its  favour.  It  was  pro 
posed  to  give  those  in  charge  of  the  expedition,  po\Yer, 
in  the  Queen's  name,  to  make  contracts  and  enter 
into  agreements  with  the  native  chiefs  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  abolition  of  the  slave-trade,  and  the  intro- 
duction of  commercial  relations.  They  were  also  to 
establish  stations,  under  proper  protection,  where 
factories  might  be  built,  and  where  the  native  might 
be  taught  a  better  method  of  trading  than  that  of 
selling  slaves. 

The  Committee  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society 
quickly  perceived  in  this  undertaking  an  opportunity 
of  exploring  those  undiscovered  territori-^s  of  the 
Niger,  with  a  view  to  bringing  the  blessings  of  the 
Gospel  to  those  poor  benighted  people.  The  Govern- 
ment agreeing  to  this,  two  representatives  of  the 
Society  were  appointed  to  accompany  the  expedition 
— the  Eev.  James  Frederick  Schon  and  Mr.  Samuel 
Crowther.  The  former  had,  during  his  ten  years  at 
Sierra  Leone  as  a  missionary,  become  an  authority 
upon  the  African  people  and  their  characteristics, 
and  of  the  latter  little  more  need  be  said  than  that  he 
was  burning  to  preach  the  Word  of  Life,  at  any  sa- 
crifice, among  his  own  people  in  the  far-off  interior. 
Happily  the  journals  of  these  ncble  pioneers  of 
Christianity  have  been  preserved,  and  we  shall  now 
quote  some  of  their  own  words  th'srefrom,  describing  m 
a  most  interesting  manner  the  inciaents  of  the  voyage. 

When  the  tidings  came  to  Messrs.  Schon  and 
Crowther  that  they  were  to  accompany  the  expedi- 
tion, they  gladly  j)repared  themselves  for  a  step, 
which  was  not  unattended  with  prospects  of  danger 


40  SAMUEL  CROWTHER. 

to  themselves.  The  jealousy  and  cruelty  of  hostile 
tribes,  and  the  risks  to  health  which  the  fearful 
climate  of  those  regions  involved,  faced  them  as 
they  entered  upon  their  task.  But  the  prospect  of 
preaching  the  Gospel  to  those  who  had  never  heard 
of  the  love  of  Christ  was  a  sufficient  incentive  to  put 
aside  all  fears.  In  each  case,  too,  a  separation  from 
wife  and  home  was  naturally  painful,  but  most  bravely 
was  it  borne.  Mrs.  Schon  was  only  just  recovering 
from  a  serious  illness,  and  it  was  not  until  he  had 
prayed  long  and  earnestly  for  Divine  help  that  her 
husband  ventured  to  break  the  news  to  her  of  his 
immediate  departure. 

He  tells  us,  "  This  being  done,  I  approached  the  bed 
of  my  afflicted  partner,  and  made  her  acquainted 
with  the  arrival  of  the  vessels.  She  was  not  taken 
by  surprise,  but,  on  the  contrary,  to  my  astonish- 
ment, calmly  replied,  '  Oh  !  I  can  bear  it.  Never 
mind  me,  I  am  only  sorry  that  I  cannot  assist  you 
more  in  getting  ready.  Leave  me,  go  on  with  your 
business,  God  will  take  care  of  me.'  To  find  her  in  such 
a  frame  of  mind  was  very  cheering  to  me ;  I  knew 
well  that  flesh  and  blood  could  not  have  given  it  to 
her,  and  that  it  was  an  answer  to  many  prayers.  I 
learned  to  understand  anew  that  it  was  the  will  of 
God  that  I  should  engage  in  this  important  work. 
Hitherto  the  Lord  has  removed  all  obstacles,  and  has 
given  me  more  than  ordinary  strength  to  prosecute 
my  preparations  for  it.  And  although  I  more  than 
ever  feel  my  unfitness,  I  am  not  dismayed.  I  can  lay 
hold  on  the  precious  promises  of  God,  and  will  go  on 
my  way  rejoicing." 

Such  was  the  spirit  of  one  of  these  noble  men,  and 


ON  THE  THRESHOLD  OF  THE  WORK.      41 

in  such  grand  faith  and  self-forgetfuhiess  did  his  wife 
bid  him  adieu. 

With  Crowther  the  parting  was  not  less  costly  or 
trying  to  human  feeling.  For  many  reasons  he  expo- 
rienced  much  reluctance  to  leave  Fourah  Bay,  his 
College  work,  his  home,  and  those  dear  to  him.  Not 
a  few  tears  were  secretly  shed  during  the  packing  of 
his  boxes ;  but  on  the  1st  July  the  Soudan  sailed, 
and  he  waved  his  last  farewells  to  those  on  shore. 

"To-day  about  11  o'clock,"  he  tells  us,  "the 
Soudan  got  under  way  for  the  Niger,  the  highway 
into  the  heart  of  Africa.  She  was  soon  followed  by 
the  Wilherforce,  which  took  her  in  tow  in  order  to 
save  fuel.  When  I  looked  back  on  the  colony  in  which 
I  had  spent  nineteen  years — the  happiest  part  of  my 
life,  because  there  I  was  made  acquainted  with  the 
saving  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ — leaving  my  wife, 
who  was  near  her  confinement,  and  four  children 
behind — I  could  not  but  feel  pain  and  some  anxiety 
for  a  time  at  the  separation.  May  the  Lord,  who  has 
been  my  guide  from  my  youth  up  until  now,  keep  them 
and  me,  and  make  me  neither  barren  nor  unfruitful 
in  His  service." 

It  was  a  sharp  disappointment  to  Schon  and 
Crowther  to  find  that  they  were  not  to  travel  to- 
gether, the  former  being  attached  to  the  Wilberforce, 
especially  as  they  were  hoping  to  work  conjointly  in 
their  leisure  in  translating  the  Scriptures  into  the 
languages  of  the  inland  tribes.  But  by  this  arrange- 
ment we  have  now  two  distinct  and  most  interesting 
accounts  of  the  expedition,  the  Wilherforce  exploring 
the  Tshadda,  and  the  Soudan  passing  up  the  main 
stream  of  the  Niger. 


42 


SAMUEL  CROWTHER. 


Bearing  no  arms  of  war ;  equipi^ed  for  no  devas- 
tating conflict  with  the  natives,  but  carrying  a  mes- 
sage of  peace  and  g  odwill,  these  Enghsh  vessels 
steamed  up  the  river.  The  brave  men  who  stood 
full  of  hope  upon  their  decks  little  dreamt  how 
disastrous  would  prove  their  venture,  and  how  the 
return  of  their  vessels  w^ould  bring  but  a  feeble 
remnant  back  to  their  native  land! 


CHAPTER    IV. 

The  Niger  first  Explored. 
* 

"  Rise,  gracious  God,  and  shine 

In  all  Thy  saving  might ; 
And  prosper  each  design 

To  spread  Thy  glorious  light. 
Let  healing  streams  of  mercy  flow, 

That  all  the  earth  Thy  truth  may  know."— HURN. 


»  i  UGUST  20th,  1841.  The  Wilherforce  and  the 
A  Soudan  (so  runs  Crowther's  journal)  got  under 
way  this  morning  in  pursuit  of  the  Albert,  and  in 
about  two  hours  we  lost  sight  of  the  sea,  and  were 
completely  surrounded  by  thick  mangroves  on  both 
sides  of  the  creek.  Apparent  satisfaction  was  seen  on 
every  countenance,  that  we  had  now  commenced  our 
river  navigation,  although  some  could  not  help  re- 
marking that  they  were  going  to  their  graves. 

"  August  21.  We  were  gradually  introduced  from 
the  mangroves  into  a  forest  of  palm  and  bamboo  trees, 
embellished  with  large  cotton  trees  of  curious  shapes, 
interspersed  among  them  on  both  sides  of  the  river, 
and  of  other  lofty  trees  of  beautiful  foliage.    All  hands 


44  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

were  invited  on  deck  by  this  new  scenery,  and  the  day 
was  spent  with  great  interest  at  this  novel  appearance. 
We  passed  on  both  sides  of  the  river  several  plantations 
of  bananas,  plantains,  sugar-canes,  cocoa  or  kalabe — 
so-called  by  the  Americans — and  now  and  then  some 
huts  with  natives  in  them. 

"  The  natives  were  so  timid  that  they  several  times 
pulled  their  canoes  ashore,  and  ran  away  into  the  bush, 
where  they  hid  themselves  among  the  grass,  and 
peeped  at  the  steamers  with  fear  and  great  astonish- 
ment. We  got  opposite  to  a  village  containing  about 
seven  or  eight  huts,  where  the  inhabitants  in  very 
great  earnest  armed  themselves  with  sticks  and 
country  billhooks,  and  ran  along  the  bank  to  a 
neighbouring  village,  to  apprise  the  villagers  of  the 
dreadful  approach  of  our  wonderful  floating  and  self- 
moving  habitation.  These  villagers  also  followed  the 
example  of  their  informers.  Having  armed  themselves 
in  like  manner,  they  betook  themselves  to  the  next 
village  to  bring  them  the  same  tidings.  When  they 
were  encouraged  to  come  on  board,  it  was  difficult  to  find 
persons  brave  enough  to  do  so.  Those  who  ventured 
to  come  near  took  care  not  to  go  further  from  shore 
than  the  distance  of  a  leap  from  their  canoe,  in  case 
there  should  be  cause  for  it. 

"  The  Captain  perceiving  some  of  them  inclined  to 
come  off,  stopped  the  engine,  and  persuaded  them  to 
come  near  us.  In  the  meantime  he  had  come  opposite 
to  a  larger  village  into  which  all  the  former  villagers 
had  collected  themselves.  There  was  a  little  boy  who 
acted  as  their  interpreter  because  he  understood  two 
English  words,  'Yes'  and  'Tabac,'  which  he  had 
picked  up  at  some  place.     They  constantly  told  him 


THE   NIGER    FIRST   EXPLORED.  4o 

something  to  tell  us,  but  he  could  not  say  anything 
else  besides  his  'yes'  and  '  tabac' 

"  After  much  hesitation  a  large  canoe  came  off  with 
no  less  than  forty-three  persons  in  it.  It  was  with 
great  difficulty  that  some  of  them  were  persuaded  to 
come  on  board.  Their  fear  may  be  accounted  for  by 
the  slave-traders  having  often  pursued  their  victims 
through  the  mangrove  sv;amp.  My  expectation  was 
greatly  raised  when  I  found  among  them  a  Yoruba  boy 
of  about  thirteen  years  of  age,  from  whom  I  thought  we 
could  get  some  information  about  these  people ;  but 
the  poor  little  fellow  had  almost  lost  his  native  lan- 
guage, through  his  lonely  situation  among  them.  He 
could  not  even  understand  me  very  well  when  I  asked 
him  about  his  father  and  mother  and  his  own  town. 
He  must  have  travelled  hundreds  of  miles  before  he 
got  into  this  secret  part  of  Africa.  Here  we  were 
overtaken  by  the  Albert  and  Wilherforce,  the  latter  took 
another  branch  of  the  river  this  evening  to  prove  its 
course.  The  Albert  and  the  Soudan  dropped  anchors 
about  ten  miles  from  the  branch  taken  by  the  Wilber- 
force,  to  spend  the  first  Sabbath  of  our  ascent  up  the 
Niger.  Plenty  of  cocoanut  trees  were  seen  in  many  of 
the  villages  to-day. 

"  August  22,  the  Lord's  Day.  We  are  now  below  a 
small  village  quietly  enjoying  the  Christian  Sabbath. 
Not  more  than  two  furlongs  from  us  are  a  people  who 
know  no  heaven,  fear  no  hell,  and  who  are  strangers 
from  the  covenant  of  promise,  having  no  hope  and 
without  Grod  in  the  world.  How  inexcusable  art  thou, 
0  man,  who  art  living  in  a  place  where  the  gospel  of 
Christ  is  preached  every  Sabbath,  yet  who  preferrest 
to  live  in  darkness,  in  ignorance  of  God,  of  Christ,  and 


40  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

of  the  state  of  thine  own  soul,  to  being  made  wise  unto 
salvation  by  the  saving  knowledge  of  the  gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ.  Take  care  lest  these  people  rise  up  in 
judgment  against  thee,  and  condemn  thee,  because 
thou  rejectest  the  counsel  of  God  aganist  thyself. 

"  August  23.  This  morning,  about  half-past  5  o'clock, 
we  got  mider  way,  leaving  the  Albert  behind,  as  she 
was  waituig  for  the  return   of  the  Wilherforce.     We 
continued  to  pass  several   huts   and   plantations  of 
sugar-canes,  bananas,  and  plantains.     Many  natives 
made  their  appearance,  and  came  out  to  us  in  their 
canoes;    some    being    dressed    in    old  soldiers'    and 
drummers'  coats,  having  on  old  common  black  hats. 
You  scarcely  can  imagine  how  they  looked  in  these 
dresses,  having  on  neither  shirt  nor  trousers,  with  the 
exception  of  a  piece  of  cloth  or  handkerchief  around 
their  waists.     As  their  coats  were  red  and  showy, 
they  took  a  very  great  pride  in  their  whimsical  dresses. 
A  blue  flag,  with  fanciful  figures  of  man,  monkey, 
bottle,  etc.,  was  flying  in  one  of  their  canoes.     They 
were  not  afraid  of  us,  for  they  came  of  their  own 
accord,  with  their  notes  of  recommendation  from  the 
captams  of  former  steamers.     After  we  had  steamed 
for  about  two  hours  we  came  to  another  large  village, 
from  whence  the  natives  soon  came  around  us  with 
plenty  of  bananas  and  plantains.     The  people  here 
scarce  want  anything  else  in  exchange  for  their  fruits 
beside   rum,    for  which    they    constantly    call    out, 
*  Vlolo,  Vlolo ! '   at  the   same    time  applying   their 
hands  to  their  mouths,  intimating  to  us  that  they 
wanted   something  to  drink.     But  as  Captain  Allen 
would  not  countenance  anything  of  the  kind,  we  could 
buy  very  little  of  their  things. 


48  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

"August  29,  Lord's  Day.  Lay  at  anchor  yester- 
day, a  little  above  Ibo,  to  enjoy  the  Sabbath,  an 
emblem  of  the  rest  that  remameth  for  the  people  of 
God." 

Crowther  then  goes  on  to  describe  hiis  visit  to  king 
Obi,  a  potentate  whose  position  and  influence  made  the 
incident  of  his  coming  in  contact  with  the  expedition 
of  much  importance.  A  man  of  average  size,  with  a 
pleasant  smile,  dressed  in  calico  trousers  and  coat, 
and  ornamented  with  huge  strips  of  pipe  coral,  leopard's 
teeth  and  brass  buttons.  In  order  that  we  may 
better  understand  the  king  and  his  people  we  will 
quote  from  the  journal  of  Mr.  Schon,  who  had  specially 
to  arrange  the  slave  treaty  with  him. 

"  King  Obi  sent  one  of  his  sons  to  welcome  the 
strangers.  He  was  a  very  fine-looking  young  man, 
about  twenty  years  of  age.  Both  himself  and  his 
companions  attended  our  morning  devotions,  after 
which  I  told  them  what  book  it  was  of  which  I  had 
been  reading  a  portion,  and  that  I  had  come  to  this 
country  to  tell  the  people  what  God  had  in  it  revealed 
to  us.  They  were  surprised,  and  could  not  well 
understand  how  it  was  possible  that  I  should  have  no 
other  object  in  view.  They  are  sensible  of  their 
inferiority  in  every  respect  to  white  men,  and  can 
therefore  be  easily  led  by  them  either  to  do  evil  or 
good. 

"  When  I  told  one  this  morning  that  the  slave  trade 
was  a  bad  thing,  and  that  white  people  wished  to  put 
an  end  .to  it  altogether,  he  gave  me  an  excellent 
answer,  *  Well,  if  white  people  give  up  buying,  black 
people  will  give  up  selling  slaves.'  He  assured  me, 
too,  that  it  had  hitherto  been  his  belief,  that  it  was 


THE   NIGER   FIRST   EXPLORED.  49 

the  will  of  God  that  black  people  should  be  slaves  of 
white  people ! 

"  This  afternoon  I  satisfied  myself  of  the  correctness 
of  various  particulars  which  I  had  previously  obtained 
of  the  Ibo  people  respecting  some  of  their  superstitious 
practices.  It  appears  to  be  but  too  true  that  human 
sacrifices  are  offered  by  them,  and  that  in  the  most  bar- 
barous manner.  The  legs  of  the  devoted  victim  are  tied 
together,  and  he  is  dragged  from  place  to  place  till  he 
expires.  The  person  who  gave  me  this  information 
told  me  that  one  man  had  been  dragged  about  for 
nearly  a  whole  day  before  his  sufferings  terminated  in 
death.  The  body  is  afterwards  cast  into  the  river. 
Interment  is  always  denied  them,  they  must  become 
food  for  alligators  or  fishes.  Sometimes  people  are 
fastened  to  trees  or  to  branches  close  to  the  river  until 
they  are  famished. 

"Also  if  a  child  should  happen  to  cut  its  top  teeth 
first  the  poor  infant  is  likewise  killed;  it  is  considered 
to  indicate  that  the  child,  were  it  allowed  to  live, 
would  become  a  very  bad  person.  To  say  to  any 
person,  *  You  cut  your  top  teeth  first,'  is,  therefore, 
as  much  as  to  say  nothing  good  can  be  expected 
from  you ;  you  are  born  to  do  evil,  it  is  impossible 
for  you  to  act  otherwise 

"  The  Ibos  are  in  their  way  a  religious  people,  the 
word  '  Tshuku,'  God,  is  continually  heard.  Tshuku  is 
supposed  to  do  everything.  When  a  few  bananas  fell 
out  of  the  hands  of  one  into  the  water,  he  comforted 
himself  by  saying,  '  God  has  done  it.' 

"  Their  notions  of  some  of  the  attributes  of  the 
Supreme  Being  are  in  many  respects  correct,  and 
their  manner   of  expressing   them   striking.      *  God 

B 


60  SAMUEL    CROWTHER. 

made  everything.  He  made  both  white  and  black,' 
is  continually  on  their  lips.  Some  of  their  parables 
are  descriptive  of  the  perfections  of  God,  when  they 
say,  for  instance,  that  God  has  two  eyes  and  two  ears, 
that  the  one  is  in  heaven  and  the  other  on  earth.  I 
suppose  the  conception  that  they  have  of  God's 
omniscience  and  omnipresence  cannot  be  disputed. 

"  On  the  death  of  a  person  who  has  in  their  estimation 
been  good,  they  will  say,  *  He  will  see  God  ; '  while  of 
a  wicked  person  they  will  say,  *  He  will  go  into  fire.' 

"  I  had  frequent  opportunities  of  hearing  these  expres- 
sions at  Sierra  Leone ;  and  though  I  was  assured  that 
they  had  not  heard  them  from  Christians,  I  would  not 
state  them  before  I  had  satisfied  myself  by  inquiring 
of  such  as  had  never  had  any  intercourse  with  Chris- 
tians, that  they  possessed  correct  ideas  of  a  future 
state  of  reward  and  punishment.  Truly  God  has  not 
left  Himself  without  witness ! 

**  Another  subject  upon  which  they  are  generally 
agreed,  but  which  I  am  sorry  to  say,  I  shall  have  no 
opportunity  of  pursuing  any  further,  is  the  following : 
It  is  their  common  belief  that  there  is  a  certain  place 
or  town  in  the  Ibo  country  in  which  Tshuku  dwells, 
and  where  he  delivers  his  oracles  and  answers  inquiries. 
Any  matter  of  importance  is  left  to  his  decision,  and 
people  travel  to  the  place  from  every  part  of  the 
country.  It  is  said  to  be  in  the  rainy  season  three 
months'  journey  from  this  town,  but  that  in  the  dry 
season  it  could  be  made  in  a  much  shorter  time. 

"  I  was  informed  to-day  that  last  year  Tshuku  had 
given  sentence  against  the  slave  trade.  The  person 
of  him  is  placed  on  a  piece  of  ground  which  is  imme- 
diately and  miraculously  surrounded  by  water.  Tshuku 


THE   NIGER   FIRST   EXPLORED. 


cannot  be  seen  by  any  human  eye,  his  voice  is  heard 

from  the  ground.    He  knows  every  language  on  earth, 

makes  known  thieves,  and 

if    there  is   fraud    in    the 

heart  of  the  inquiring  he 

is  sure  to  find  it  out,  and 

woe  to  such  a  person,  for 

he  will  never  return.     He 

hears  every  word   that   is 

said  against  him,  but  can 

only  revenge  himself  when 

persons    come    near    him. 

I  once  asked  a  man,  *  Did 

the  people  ever  drive  him 

out  of  his  hole  ? '  when  he 

said  to  me  very  seriously, 

*  Master,  do  not  take  such 

a   word,    perhaps    by-and- 

by  you  go   see  the  place. 

Tshuku  will  kill  you.     You 

hear  now,  "  You  must  drive 

me  out  of  my  hole;"  and 

the  time  he  begin  for  talk 

you  no  go  open  your  mouth 

again.'        They     sincerely 

believe    all    these    things, 

and  many  others  respecting 

Tshuku,  and  obey  his  orders 

implicitly  ;  and  if  it  should 

be  correct  that  he  has  said 

that  they   should   give  up 

the  slave  trade,  I  have  no  doubt  that  they  will  do 

it  at  once." 


52  SAMUEL   CROWTHER, 

The  native  interpreter  on  board  the  Wilherforce  was 
Simon  Jonas,  one  of  the  hberated  slaves  ;  and  when 
he  came  amongst  people  who  had  known  him  they 
could  not  credit  the  fact  of  his  being  still  alive  and 
well.  It  was  the  prevalent  notion  among  these  natives 
that  slaves  purchased  by  the  white  people  were  killed 
and  eaten,  and  their  blood  used  to  dye  red  cloth.  One 
of  these  poor  heathen  was,  at  the  request  of  the  inter- 
preter, brought  on  board,  and  Mr.  Schon  goes  on  to 
tell  us : 

"  Though  many  years  had  elapsed  since  our  inter- 
preter was  sold,  and  the  other  had  in  the  meantime 
become  an  old  man,  they  instantly  recognised  each 
other,  and  I  cannot  describe  the  astonishment  mani- 
fested by  the  Ibo  man  at  seeing  one  whom  he  verily 
believed  had  long  since  been  killed  and  eaten  by  the 
white  people.  His  expressions  of  surprise  were  strong, 
but  very  significant.  '  If  God  Himself,'  he  said,  '  had 
told  me  this  I  could  not  have  believed  what  my  eyes 
now  see.'  The  interpreter  then  found  out  that  Any  a 
was  the  very  place  to  which  he  had  been  first  sold  as 
a  slave,  and  at  which  he  had  spent  nine  years  of  his 
early  life,  and  that  the  very  person  with  whom  he 
was  speaking  had  been  his  doctor  and  nurse  in  a 
severe  illness,  on  which  account  he  had  retained  a 
thankful  remembrance  of  him.  The  Ibo  man  was 
kindly  treated  by  the  captain,  and  his  request  to  be 
allowed  to  accompany  us  to  Obi  was  instantly  granted. 
He  calls  himself  brother  to  Obi ;  but  it  is  well  known 
that  the  word  *  brother  '  has  a  most  extensive  signi- 
fication in  Western  Africa.  When  he  was  asked 
whether  he  thought  that  Obi  would  be  glad  to  see 
white  men,  he  gave  a  reply  which  I  was  not  prepared 


THE   NIGER   FIRST   EXPLORED. 


53 


to  hear  from  the  hps  of  a  pagan.  '  These  three 
months,'  he  said,  '  we  have  been  praymg  to  God  to 
send  white  man's  ship.' 

"  Oh  that  I  could  beheve  and  be  convinced  that  this 
was  something  of  the  cry  of  the  Macedonians,  '  Come 
over,  and  help  us !  '  But  a  suspicious  thought  in- 
trudes itself  on  my  mind,  and  makes  me  suppose  that 
it  is  the  desire  of  seeing  a  slave  dealer  with  his  cargo 
in  exchange  for  their  own  flesh  and  blood." 


CHAPTER    V. 

A  Sorrowful  Return. 


•^le 


•'  While  I  draw  this  fleeting  breath, 

When  my  eyes  shall  close  in  death, 

When  I  rise  to  worlds  unknown, 
And  behold  thee  on  Thy  throne, 

Rock  of  Ages  cleft  for  me. 

Let  me  hide  myself  in  Thee  ! "— ToplajjY. 

^ 


THERE  are  few  spectacles  so  disappointing  as  that 
of  brave  endeavour  baffled  by  forces  which  it 
cannot  overcome,  returning  with  its  noble  aim  un- 
accomplished. Nothing  could  exceed  the  courage  and 
energy  displayed  by  those  who  composed  this  expedi- 
tion up  the  Niger ;  and  although  in  dealing  with  these 
native  tribes,  especially  on  such  a  delicate  subject  as 
the  commerce  in  slaves,  the  explorers  held  their  lives 
very  cheaply,  they  found  a  foe  barring  their  progress 
which  no  efforts  of  theirs  could  overcome.  A  pesti- 
lential fever,  which,  leaving  no  impression  on  the 
natives,  was  rapidly  fatal  to  Europeans,  soon  began 
to  decimate  the  party.  It  is  a  saddening  record 
of  high  hopes  extinguished  in  feebleness  and  pain. 
There  seemed  to  be  a  strange  fatality  attaching  to 


A   SORROWFUL   RETURN.  55 

the  ships,  and  accident  as  well  as  disease  was  at 
work  in  impeding  their  progress. 

Crowther  tells  us  that  when  they  reached  the  im- 
portant native  town  of  Attah,  "  the  Ingalla  inter- 
jDreter,  whose  services  were  mostly  needed  at  this 
place,  accidently  fell  overboard  from  the  Albert,  and 
was  drowned.  I  was  just  on  the  way  to  ask  permis- 
sion to  go  on  board  the  Albert,  as  she  was  going  nearer 
the  town  with  all  who  were  desirous  of  going  on 
shore,  when  she  got  under  way,  in  search  of  this 
poor  man  who  had  made  himself  very  useful  in  this 
country.  The  Lord  seeth  not  as  man  seeth.  '  Trust 
not  in  man,  whose  breath  is  in  his  nostrils,  for 
wherein  is  he  to  be  accounted  of.'  " 

It  appears  from  what  Mr.  Schon  says  of  this  event, 
that  there  was  reason  to  deplore  specially  the  end  of 
this  man's  life.  He  was  a  Christian  convert,  and  had 
been  a  communicant  for  several  years  of  the  church 
in  Sierra  Leone ;  and  his  only  child,  a  girl  of  fifteen, 
was  then  a  promising  pupil  in  one  of  the  schools. 
It  seems,  however,  that  on  his  return  to  his  native 
place  here  he  spent  the  night  on  shore  against  the 
orders  of  the  commander,  and  had  partaken  too 
freely  of  the  palm  wine  of  the  natives.  Thus  it  is 
feared  that  on  his  return  he  was  not  altogether  under 
control,  and  paid  the  awful  penalty  of  losing  his  life. 
At  his  death  the  apathy  of  the  natives  was  apparent, 
although  the  poor  fellow  was  struggling  in  the  water 
within  reach  of  three  canoes,  holding  at  least  a 
hundred  persons,  not  one  attempted  to  stretch  out  a 
hand  to  help  him  ! 

As  the  vessels  approached  the  confluence  of  the 
Tshadda  with  the  Niger,  the  country  became  more 


56  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

hilly,  and  the  river  had  overflowed  its  banks,  flooding 
the  villages  in  the  vicinity  up  to  the  tops  of  the  huts. 
But  notwithstanding  the  pleasant  scenery,  the  illness 
which  was  spreading  over  the  vessels  told  too  plainly 
how  deadly  was  the  climate.  Mr.  Schon  tells  us  what 
he  felt  at  this  moment. 

"  The  country  we  are  now  in,  the  clear  air  and  dry 
atmosphere  we  now  enjoy  would  cause  us  to  doubt 
that  the  climate  could  be  dangerous,  were  it  not  for 
the  sick  and  the  dying  by  whom  we  are  surrounded. 
I  pray  for  them,  I  pray  with  them,  and  thek  sick- 
beds have  taught  me  many  a  lesson.  I  cannot  speak 
of  decided  cases  of  sick  or  death-bed  conversions  ; 
but  I  have  had  pleasing  proofs  that  my  feeble  assist- 
ance was  acceptable,  and,  I  trust,  blessed  by  God  to 
them.  Of  some  I  am  certain  that  they  have  not 
engaged  in  this  expedition  for  the  sake  of  double  pay, 
but  were  actuated  by  better  and  nobler  motives ;  and 
to  them  belongs  the  promise  of  the  Saviour,  that  they 
shall  in  no  wise  lose  their  reward.  I  feel  much  sup- 
ported by  the  assurance  that  many  prayers  are  offered 
up  in  distant  lands  on  our  behalf,  by  the  friends  of 
the  great  cause  in  which  we  have  the  honour  to  be 
engaged.  The  heat  to-day  was  great — 87°  at  5  p.m. 
— but  by  no  means  oppressive.  The  only  incon- 
venience I  felt  arose  from  the  want  of  sound  sleep. 
I  am  covered  with  the  prickly-heat,  which  made  me 
feel  all  the  night  as  if  I  was  lying  on  needles. 

"  September  12th,  Lord's  Day.  Another  death  on 
board  the  Albert  last  night,  and  several  persons  still 
very  ill  in  each  of  our  vessels.  There  is  no  knowing 
what  another  day  may  bring  forth.  If  ever  I  felt 
the  importance  and  responsibility  of  the  minister  of 


A   SORROWFUL   RETURN.  57 

the  Gospel  it  -was  to-day.  Our  service  was  to  my 
mind  a  solemn  one.  I  administered  the  sacrament 
for  the  first  time  on  board  the  Wilherforce.  The  ser- 
vice was  held  on  the  quarter-deck ;  behind  me  was 

the  lifeless  corpse  of  N ,  a  sailor  who  expired  last 

night,  before  me  an  attentive  audience  of  as  many  as 
could  be  spared  from  their  work.  On  deck  were  the 
carpenters  making  a  coffin ;  on  the  forecastle  of  the 
vessel  were  seven  persons  dangerously  ill  of  fever  ; 
and  at  a  few  yards  from  us  was  the  Albert,  lying  with 
the  usual  sign  of  mourning — a  lowered  flag.  I  spoke 
on  the  right  state  of  mind  which  ought  to  possess  us 
at  the  approach  of  death.  My  text  was  taken  from 
Acts  vii.,  the  last  two  verses.  It  was  not  a  studied 
sermon,  it  came  from  the  heart ;  and  if  I'm  not  mis- 
taken, found  its  way  to  the  heart.  The  sailor  was 
buried  by  myself  at  Adda  kudda  this  evening.  I 
heard  of  no  new  case  of  sickness  to-day,  and  was 
thankful  when  I  observed  that  some  of  our  people 
were  to  all  appearance  improvmg.  I  could  truly  and 
fully  enter  into  the  feelings  of  one  man  when  he  told 
me  that  he  hoped  by  God's  mercy  to  be  spared  and 
permitted  to  see  his  wife  and  child  once  more.  The 
chord  of  sympathy  was  powerfully  touched  by  his 
expression  of  this  desire." 

One  of  the  most  serious  aspects  of  this  fever  was 
that  the  medical  men  attached  to  the  expedition  were 
beginning  to  suffer  themselves ;  and  one  of  them,  Mr. 
Nightingale,  the  surgeon  on  the  Albert,  was  mortally 
struck  down.  He  was  a  young  and  particularly  healthy 
man,  with  a  prospect  of  being  very  useful,  and  learned 
in  his  profession.  One  of  the  two  missionaries  was 
with  him  in  his  dying  moments,  and  was  led  to  believe 


58  SAMUEL   CROWTIIER, 

from  his  last  words  that  the  Saviour  of  sinners  was 
precious  to  him.  Fifty-five  persons  were  now  lying 
helpless  on  the  decks  of  the  ship,  and  from  time  to 
time  they  were  added  to  the  number  of  the  dead. 
Where  they  had  hoped  to  bring  the  blessing  of  Chris- 
tian teaching  they  found  only  a  grave,  and  a  piece 
of  land  was  purchased  from  the  king  of  Attah  as  a 
burial  ground,  where  Dr.  Nightingale  and  others  were 
interred.  A  deep  solemnity  rested  on  the  crews,  and 
the  morning  and  evening  prayers  became  times  of 
impressive  feeling.  As  the  shadows  drew  on  and 
night  closed  in  they  sang  with  heart-breaking  emotion 
and  yet  a  reviving  faith, 

"  Why  do  we  mourn  departing  friends, 
Or  shake  at  death's  alarms  ? 
'Tis  but  the  voice  that  Jesus  sends 
To  call  them  to  His  arms." 

At  last  the  captains  being  laid  low,  urgent  steps 
were  necessary,  and  it  was  decided  that  the  Soudan, 
with  a  mournful  cargo  of  invalids,  should  turn  and 
glide  with  all  haste  back  to  the  sea.  With  it  Crowther 
returned ;  and  he  tells  us  how  dispiriting  was  that 
journey,  in  which  the  two  brave  leaders,  Captain 
Trotter  and  Captain  Allen,  were  lying  side  by  side  in 
dangerous  sickness.  Death  passed  among  the  suffering, 
and  again  and  again  they  had  to  consign  their  bodies 
to  the  deep ;  while  many  of  those  who  lived  on  raged 
in  delirium,  and  in  one  or  two  cases  flung  themselves 
from  the  ships  in  the  madness  of  fever.  The  Wilber- 
force  followed  on  the  homeward  track  shortly  after- 
wards, a  moving  hospital,  with  scarcely  enough 
strength  on  board  to  direct  its  passage  down  the  river. 

The  Albert,  however,  with  a   veiy  small  staff,  was 


60  SAMUEL   GROWTH  ER. 

ordered  to  pursue  her  way  up  stream,  and  upon  her 
decks  was  Mr.  Schon.  With  varymg  experiences  they 
pursued  their  way,  coming  in  contact  with  the  Nufi 
people ;  observing  everywhere  the  terror  exhibited  at 
the  oj)pression  by  the  Fulatahs,  and  having  a  most 
interesting  and  encouraging  interview  with  Eogan^  an 
old  chief,  at  Egga.  The  Mohammedans  had  it  all 
their  own  way  in  these  districts,  and  the  Mallams  who 
represented  that  religion  treated  Mr.  Schon  very  cour- 
teously, giving  him  copies  of  their  Arabic  books, 
which,  however,  they  were  not  able  themselves  to 
read.  Much  valuable  information  was  obtained  as  to 
the  sale  of  slaves ;  of  service  to  those  who  came  after- 
wards. But  death  pointed  once  more  with  bony 
finger  down  the  stream,  and  commanded  them  to 
return.    We  read  in  Mr.  Schon's  journals  : 

"  October  4th.  '  Hitherto  shalt  thou  come  and  no 
further,'  was  the  message  of  this  morning.  '  Draw 
up  the  anchor  and  return  to  the  sea  as  fast  as  pos- 
sible.' I  always  apprehended  this.  My  feelings 
naturally  opposed  it  continually,  and  the  thought  of 
it  grieved  my  heart ;  but  now  I  feel  reconciled  to  it, 
seeing  that  it  is  the  only  resource  left  to  us.  Captain 
Trotter  was  taken  ill  last  evening,  and  the  symptoms 
of  fever  were  too  plain  this  morning  to  favour  the 
hope  that  it  was  merely  a  momentary  indisposition. 
Only  one  European  officer  was  able  to  perform  duty 
on  board.  The  fever  on  the  others  has  not  subdued  ; 
and  not  one  will  be  able  to  do  duty  for  some  time, 
even  should  their  lives  be  spared,  which  at  present 
appears  very  doubtful. 

"We  made  but  little  progress  to-day  in  our  return 
to  the  sea,  as  there  was  some  business  going  on  at 


A   SORROWFUL   RETURN.  61 

Egga,  and  the  engineers  being  still  ill,  steam  could 
not  be  got  up.  Captain  Trotter,  I  am  thankful  to  say, 
appeared  better  this  afternoon ;  but  the  other  invalids, 
I  am  sorry  to  add,  were  apparently  no  better.  May 
their  valuable  lives  be  preserved  for  the  good  of  the 
cause  in  which  they  are  zealously  labouring. 

"  October  5th.  All  of  us  were  disturbed  last  night 
by  the  illness  of  several  of  our  com^^anions,  but  espe- 
cially by  one,  who,  in  a  state  of  delirium,  continued 
making  a  great  noise  up  to  one  o'clock  this  morning. 
In  the  gun-room  we  surrounded  the  dying  bed  of 
Lieutenant  Stenhouse,  expecting  every  moment  to  see 
him  yield  up  his  spirit  unto  God  who  gave  it.  He  was 
partially  delirious,  but  there  was  a  great  contrast  in 
his  conduct  to  that  of  the  others  :  the  former  cried, 

*  We  are  all  lost — we  are  all  lost — God  Almighty 
has  said  it ; '  while  the  lieutenant  was  as  meek  and 
gentle  as  a  lamb,  and  his  expressions  betrayed  grief 
on  account  of  sin,  and  at  times  indicated  some  enjoy- 
ment of  the  consolations  of  the  Gospel. 

"  He  said,  '  God  be  merciful  to  me,  Christ  died  for 
me.    Thy  kingdom  come  !'   Seizing  my  hand,  he  said, 

*  God  bless  you  !     God  be  with  you.     I  thank  you.' 

"  Captain  B,  Allen  seemed  better  in  health  this 
morning.  He  is  always  in  an  excellent  frame  of  mind  ; 
all  the  Christian  graces  shine  in  him.  He  says,  and, 
with  the  Apostle,  feels  what  he  says  to  be  true, '  For  me 
to  live  is  Christ,  and  to  die  is  gain ; '  and  if  there  be  a 
jDrevailing  desire  in  his  mind  it  certainly  is,  *  rather 
to  be  absent  from  the  body  and  to  be  present  with 
the  Lord.'  O  enviable  state  of  mind !  May  my  soul 
be  seeking  more  and  more  to  be  in  such  a  state  !  " 

The  intense  trouble  which  wrung  the  heart  of  Mr. 


62-  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

Scli6n  may  be  seen  in  the  following  extract  written  at 
the  moment  of  their  sad  return,  when  he  says  that 
the  whole  result  of  the  expedition  may  be  written  in 
one  terrible  word,  "failure  !  " 

**  I  long  for  better  days,  and  for  a  change  in  our 
condition.  I  have  endured  personal  sufferings,  family 
afflictions,  sore  and  grievous,  and  witnessed  and  shared 
in  the  trials  of  others  during  my  residence  of  eight 
years  in  Sierra  Leone,  but  nothing  that  I  have 
hitherto  seen  or  felt  can  be  compared  with  our  present 
condition.  Pain  of  body,  distress  of  mind,  weakness, 
sorrow,  sobbing,  and  crying,  surround  us  on  all  sides. 
The  healthy,  if  so  they  may  be  called,  are  more  like 
walking  shadows  than  men  of  enterprise.  Truly, 
Africa  is  an  unhealthy  country !  When  will  her 
redemption  draw  nigh  ?  All  human  skill  is  baffled — 
all  human  means  fall  short.  Forgive  us,  0  God,  if  in 
these  we  have  depended  and  been  forgetful  of  Thee, 
and  let  the  light  of  Thy  countenance  again  shine 
upon  us  that  we  may  be  healed  !  " 

In  due  time  they  sighted  the  other  ship,  and  a  new 
life  thrilled  the  blood  of  the  poor  invalids  as  it  was 
announced  to  them  that  the  sea  glittered  in  the 
distance.  The  salt  breath  of  the  ocean  seemed  to 
bring  energy  back  again ;  but  alas,  to  many  it  was  but 
the  flicker  of  life's  expiring  flame !  With  hearts  full 
of  deep  thankfulness,  Mr.  Schon  and  Mr.  Crowther 
met  each  other  once  more ;  and  thus  ended  the  fatal 
and  sorrowful  enterprise  known  as  the  first  Niger 
expedition.  So  great  was  the  disappointment  and 
regret  in  England  that  for  twelve  years  public  opinion 
would  not  allow  another  expedition  to  follow  it. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

An  Unexpected  and  Happy  Meeting. 
— -^ — 


"  Tell  it  out  among  the  heathen  that  the  Saviour  reigns  ! 
Tell  it  out  !     TeU  it  out ! 
Tell  it  out  among  the  nations,  bid  them  burst  their  chains  I 

Tell  it  out  !     Tell  it  out  1 
Tell  it  out  among  the  weeping  ones  that  Jesus  lives, 
Tell  it  out  among  the  weary  ones  what  rest  He  gives  ; 
Tell  it  out  among  the  sinners  that  He  came  to  save. 
Tell  it  out  among  the  dying  that  He  triumphed  o'er  the  grave.' 

Haveegal. 
-^1^ 

ALTHOUGH  the  first  Niger  expedition  had  closed  so  dis- 
astrously, there  was  one  fact  which  it  evidenced 
most  satisfactorily,  namely,  that  Samuel  Crowther  had 
within  him  the  stuff  of  which  a  true  missionary  is 
made,  and  was  entitled  to  be  ranked  among  those 
glorious  witnesses  for  Christ  who  are  charged  with  the 
message  of  mercy  to  heathen  lands.  In  many  hours 
of  trial  and  suffering,  when  the  crews  of  the  ill-fated 
vessels  lay  around  the  decks  in  agony,  Crowther 
showed  the  sympathy  of  a  Christian  minister,  and  his 
words  were  not  unfruitful  at  such  a  trying  time. 
There  was  also  shown  in  his  treatment  of  the  chiefs 
of  the  various  tribes   the  advantage  of  negotiating 


64  SAMUEL  CROWTHER. 

through  one  of  their  own  colour  and  country,  and 
whatever  success  did  attend  the  efforts  put  forth  in 
establishing  good  relations  with  the  natives  was 
largely  due  to  the  services  of  the  future  Bishop  of 
the  Niger.  Combining  courage  with  gentleness,  and 
possessing  no  small  show  of  that  patient  tact  which 
is  indispensable  in  dealing  with  these  people, 
Crowther  won  his  spiritual  spurs  under  these  trying 
circumstances.  It  was  also  very  satisfactory  to  find 
that  while  the  white  people  were  prostrate  with 
sickness,  Crowther  maintained  his  thoughts  and 
vigour,  demonstrating  beyond  question  the  import- 
ance of  working  such  a  dangerous  field  with  native 
agency. 

It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that  on  his  return  to 
Fourah  Bay  College,  Mr.  Schon  wrote  to  the  Committee 
of  the  Church  Missionary  Society  in  Lomlon,  pointing 
out  Crowther's  usefulness  and  ability,  and  recommend- 
ing them  to  prepare  him  for  ordination.  In  accordance 
with  this  he  was  recalled  to  England,  and  on  the  3rd 
of  September  1842,  landed  again  upon  our  shores. 

During  this  voyage  he  had  busied  himself  with  his 
translations,  and  had  prepared  a  grammar  and  voca- 
bulary of  the  Yoruba  tongue,  which  was  afterwards 
of  the  greatest  service  in  spreading  the  Gospel  among 
those  of  his  own  people  and  country.  He  came 
to  the  Highbury  Missionary  College,  in  the  Upper 
Street,  Islington,  which  was  then  under  the  able  care 
of  Eev.  C.  F.  Childe.  Here  he  prosecuted  his  studies, 
and  in  due  time,  on  Trinity  Sunday,  June  11th,  1843, 
he  received  at  the  hands  of  the  Bishop  of  London 
(Dr.  Blomfield)  the  rite  of  ordination,  the  first  of 
several  native  clergy  who  were  then  dedicating  them- 


AN   UNEXPECTED   AND   HAPPY   MEETING.  65 

selves  to  the  service  of  the  Lord.  After  four  months 
of  diaconate  he  was  admitted  into  full  orders  as  a 
minister  of  Christ's  flock. 

It  was  the  beginnmg  of  a  new  era  in  missionary 
enterprise,  and  the  good  Bishop  in  his  sermon  on 
behalf  of  the  Society,  referred  to  it  in  these  terms  of 
appreciation  and  gratitude  : — 

"What  cause  for  thanksgiving  to  Him,  who  hath 
made  of  one  blood  all  nations  of  men,  is  to  be  found 
in  the  thought  that  has  not  only  blessed  the  labourers 
of  the  Society  by  bringing  many  of  those  neglecte.d 
and  persecuted  people  to  the  knowledge  of  a  Saviour, 
but  that  from  among  a  race  who  were  despised  as 
incapable  of  intellectual  exertion  and  acquirement, 
He  has  raised  up  men  well  qualified,  even  in  point 
of  knowledge,  to  communicate  to  others  the  saving 
truths  which  they  have  themselves  embraced,  and  to 
become  preachers  of  the  Gospel  to  their  brethren 
according  to  the  flesh." 

As  soon  as  possible  Crowther  was  on  his  way  to 
Africa ;  and  it  was  on  the  2nd  December,  1843,  that 
once  more  he  stepped  on  shore  at  Sierra  Leone,  and 
on  the  Sunday  following  preached  his  first  sermon  in 
English  to  the  crowded  assembly  of  native  Christians 
which  filled  the  chm-ch.  His  text  was  appropriately, 
"And  yet  there  is  room,"  and  he  spoke,  as  it  were,  the 
pioneer  word  of  faith  and  hope  in  his  new  work.  At 
the  close  of  the  sermon  he  administered  the  sacrament 
to  a  large  number  of  negroes,  and  when  he  got  home 
penned  the  following  words  in  his  journal : 

"December  3rd.  Preached  my  first  sermon  in 
Africa.  .  •.  .  The  novelty  of  seeing  a  native  clergyman 
performing  divine  service  excited  a  very  great  interest 

F 


66  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

among  all  who  were  present.  But  the  question, 
*  Who  maketh  thee  to  differ  ? '  filled  me  with  shame 
and  confusion  of  face.  It  pleases  the  Disposer  of  all 
hearts  to  give  me  favour  in  the  sight  of  His  people, 
and  wherever  I  go  they  welcome  me  as  a  messenger 
of  Christ." 

Not  long  afterwards  he  preached  again,  but  in  his 
native  Yoruba ;  and  among  a  crowd  of  rescued  slaves 
he  proclaimed  in  their  own  language  the  wonderful 
works  and  mercy  of  God.  At  the  close  they  all 
heartily  responded  with  "  Ke  oh  sheh,"  their  equiva- 
lent for  our  "Amen." 

We  have  already  seen,  in  giving  the  details  of 
Crowther's  capture  as  a  slave,  how  fiercely  the  Foulah 
race  were  devastating  the  Yoruba  people.  The  object 
of  these  wars  seems  to  have  been  simply  to  supply  men 
for  the  slave-market,  and  to  effect  this,  three  hundred 
native  towns  were  ruthlessly  destroyed.  But  such 
oppression  could  not  for  ever  be  pui'sued ;  so  we  find 
that  the  several  refugees  gathered  together  finally 
at  a  spot  where  a  huge  rock,  called  Olumo,  lifted  up 
its  head  as  with  a  protective  air,  and  there  they 
founded  a  great  city,  four  miles  in  diameter,  and  with 
a  population  of  100,000  souls,  called  Abeokuta,  or 
*'  under  the  stone."  They  strongly  fortified  their 
position;  and  being  only  seventy  miles  from  their 
port  of  Badagry,  a  trade  soon  began  to  be  established 
between  their  city  and  Sierra  Leone.  Some  of  those 
who  returned  from  the  latter  place  to  Abeokuta 
were  baptized  Christians,  and  they  begged  that  a 
missionary  might  be  sent  to  them.  Mr.  Henry  Town- 
send  was  therefore  despatched  thither,  and  received 
from  the  principal  chief,  Shodeke,  a  very  cordial  recep- 


AN  UNEXPECTED   AND   HAPPY  MEETING.  67 

tion.  Thus  in  1844  the  Yoruba  Mission  was  begun, 
and  Crowther,  with  Mr.  Gollmer,  another  missionary, 
went  there  to  estabhsh  this  work,  taking  with  them 
their  wives  and  children,  with  interpreters  and  native 
catechists. 

They  were  detained  for  eighteen  months  at  Badagry ; 
and  while  there  learned  with  some  dismay  that  the 
friendly  chief  Shodeke  was  dead,  although  they  soon 
received  from  his  successor  a  hearty  welcome. 
Dm-ing  this  enforced  stay  at  Badagry  they  worked  hard 
among  the  people.  Crowther  translated  the  Scriptures 
into  Yoruba,  and  preached  the  Gospel  to  a  large  war 
camp  which  was  estabhshed  in  the  district.  The 
door  of  opportunity  which  eventually  opened  for  them 
to  go  up  hke  men  to  take  the  city  in  Christ's  name 
was  singularly  unclosed  by  a  slave  dealer.  This  man 
was  finding  his  infamous  trade  suffering,  so  he  sent 
;£200  m  presents  to  the  chief  at  Abeokuta,  offering 
more  in  return  for  slaves.  With  this  Crowther  sent  a 
messenger  to  the  new  chief,  Sagbua,  and  immediately 
the  road  was  opened  and  the  missionaries  entered 
Abeokuta  on  August  3rd,  1846.  Great  rejoicings 
followed  their  arrival,  the  Christians  especially  hail- 
ing with  delight  teachers  who  would  instruct  them 
and  build  up  thek  Church.  And  here,  after  three 
weeks,  there  occurred  an  incident  in  the  life  of 
Crowther,  which  is  perhaps  one  of  the  most  pathetic 
and  interesting  this  book  can  record.  It  was  the 
meetmg  with  his  mother.  We  cannot  refrain  from 
telling  the  story  in  his  own  words. 

"August  21.  The  text  for  this  day  in  the  Christian 
Almanac,  is  '  Thou  art  the  Helper  of  the  fatherless.' 
I  have  never  felt  the  force  of  this  text  more  than  I 


68  SAMUEL   CllOWTHER. 

did  this  day,  as  I  have  to  relate  that  my  mother,  from 
whom  I  was  torn  away  about  five-and-twenty  years 
ago,  came  with  my  brother  in  quest  of  me.  When 
she  saw  me  she  trembled.  She  could  not  believe  her 
own  eyes.  We  grasped  one  another,  looking  at  each 
other  with  silence  and  great  astonishment,  big  tears 
rolling  down  her  emaciated  cheeks.  A  great  number 
of  people  soon  came  together.  She  trembled  as  she 
held  me  by  the  hand  and  called  me  by  the  familiar 
names  by  which  I  well  remember  I  used  to  be  called 
by  my  grandmother,  who  has  since  died  in  slavery. 
We  could  not  say  much,  but  sat  still,  and  cast  now 
and  then  an  affectionate  look  at  each  other — a  look 
which  violence  and  oppression  had  long  checked — 
an  affection  which  had  nearly  been  extinguished  by 
the  long  space  of  twenty-five  years.  My  two  sisters 
who  were  captured  with  us,  are  both  with  my  mother, 
who  takes  care  of  them  and  her  grandchildren  in  a 
small  town  not  far  from  here,  called  Abaka.  Thus 
unsought  for— after  all  search  for  me  had  failed — 
God  has  brought  us  together  again,  and  turned  our 
sorrow  into  joy." 

Shortly  afterwards,  during  a  tribal  war,  Abaka 
was  destroyed  by  the  enemy,  and  Crowther's  sisters, 
their  husbands,  and  children  sold  as  slaves.  He 
however  ransomed  them  ;  and  his  mother,  safe  in 
Abeokuta,  became  the  first-fruits  of  the  mission 
there.  That  it  was  blessed  with  success  may  be 
gathered  by  a  note  which  Crowther  makes  in  his 
journal,  under  date  August  3rd,  1849 :  "This  mission  is 
to-day  three  years  old.  What  has  God  wrought  during 
this  short  interval  of  conflict  between  light  and  dark- 
ness !  We  have  500  constant  attendants  on  the  means 


70  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

of  grace,  about  80  communicants,  and  nearly  200 
candidates  for  baptism.  A  great  number  of  heatben 
have  ceased  worshipping  their  country's  gods  ;  others 
have  cast  theirs  away  altogether,  and  are  not  far 
from  enlisting  under  the  banner  of  Christ." 

About  this  time  Mr.  Townsend  was  recalled  to 
England,  and  the  Egba  chiefs  of  their  own  accord, 
sent  by  him  a  letter  to  the  Queen,  expressing  their 
gratitude  for  the  repression  of  the  slave  trade,  and 
asking  that  commerce  might  be  encouraged  with 
the  Yoruba  nation. 

"We  have  seen  your  servants  the  missionaries; 
what  they  have  done  is  agreeable  to  us.  They  have 
built  a  House  of  God.  They  have  taught  the  people 
the  Word  of  God  and  our  children  beside.  We  begin 
to  understand  them." 

The  Earl  of  Chichester  was  instructed  to  reply 
graciously  to  this  native  appeal ;  and  on  a  grand  oc- 
casion when  all  the  great  chiefs  were  gathered  together 
for  that  purpose,  on  May  23rd,  1849,  the  answer 
was  read.  Mr.  Crowther  was  the  spokesman,  and 
translated  the  letter  sentence  by  sentence  in  their 
ears.     Here  is  part  of  it. 

"  The  Queen  and  people  of  England  are  very  glad 
to  know  that  Sagbua  and  the  chiefs  think  as  they  do 
upon  the  subject  of  commerce.  But  commerce  alone 
will  not  make  a  nation  great  and  happy  like 
England.  England  has  been  great  and  happy  by 
the  knowledge  of  the  true  God  and  Jesus  Christ. 
The  Queen  is,  therefore,  very  glad  to  hear  that  Sagbua 
and  the  chiefs  have  so  kindly  received  the  missionaries 
who  carry  with  them  the  Word  of  God,  and  that  so 
many  people  are  willing  to  hear  it." 


AN   UNEXPECTED   AND   HAPPY   MEETING.  71 

With  this  kind  and  admirable  message  came  some 
presents,  two  magnificent  Bibles  in  English  and 
Arabic  respectively  from  the  Queen,  and  a  steel  corn 
mill  from  Prince  Albert ;  this  latter  was  a  marvel  to 
the  men.  Crowther  tells  us  how  in  their  sight  he 
fixed  the  mill ;  and  then  some  Indian  corn  being  put 
in  the  funnel,  to  their  great  astonishment  it  came  out 
white  flom'  by  simply  turning  the  handle.  It  is 
worthy  of  note  that  Crowther  was  a  practical  friend 
and  helper  to  these  j^eople.  He  taught  them  handi- 
crafts, and  encouraged  them  in  the  cultivation  of 
cotton,  for  which  there  seemed  a  wonderful  opening 
in  the  way  of  trade. 

The  labours  of  these  missionaries,  and  their  friends 
at  home,  for  the  restriction,  if  not  total  suppression, 
of  the  slave  trade,  began  to  bear  good  fruit.  The 
principal  centre  of  this  infamous  traffic  on  the  coast 
was  Lagos,  where,  after  vainly  trying  to  impose 
pledges  upon  the  slave-owning  tyrant  of  the  district, 
the  English  took  possession  of  the  place,  and  soon 
changed  what  had  been  a  desolate  swamp  with  the 
most  distressing  associations,  into  a  thriving  and 
prosperous  town.  Lagos  became  a  commercial  out- 
let of  considerable  importance,  and  a  brisk  trade 
was  speedily  established  between  this  place  and 
Liverpool. 

Once  more  we  find  Crowther  in  England,  and  this 
time  engaged  with  Lord  Palmerston  in  placing  before 
him  the  condition  of  things  at  Abeokuta,  enlisting 
his  sympathy  and  help  for  the  native  Christians. 
The  king  of  Dahomey,  with  such  a  vile  reputation 
for  cruelty  and  bloodshed,  wa""  Harassing  the  states 
which  desired  to  co-operate  with  the  English  people 


72  SAMUEL  CllOWTHER. 

in  the  advancement  of  religion  and  commerce.  The 
words  of  Crowther  were  not  miavailing,  and  Lord 
Palmerston  soon  afterwards  wrote  to  him  in  the 
following  words : 

"  I  am  glad  to  have  an  opportunity  of  thanking  you 
again  for  the  important  and  interesting  information 
with  regard  to  Aheokuta,  which  yoa  communicated 
to  me  when  I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  at  my 
house  in  August  last.  I  request  that  you  will  assure 
your  countrymen,  that  H.M.  Government  take  a 
lively  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  Egba  natives,  and 
of  the  community  settled  at  Aheokuta,  which  town 
seems  destined  to  be  a  centre  from  which  the  lights 
of  Christianity  and  of  civilization  may  he  spread 
over  the  neighbouring  countries." 

Supported  by  such  a  generous  interest  in  the  welfare 
of  the  people,  the  Missionary  Societies  in  England 
stirred  themselves  to  reach  out  to  the  natives  of  the 
interior  the  blessings  of  the  Gospel ;  and  the  Church 
Missionary  Committee  were  not  behindhand  in  the 
good  cause. 

Crowther,  who  was  still  working  in  England,  was 
able  to  complete  his .  valuable  dictionary  of  the 
Yoruba  language,  for  the  service  of  out-going  helpers ; 
and  the  Eev.  0.  Vidal,  a  clergyman  of  remarkable 
linguistic  gifts,  was  consecrated  Bishop  of  Sierra 
Leone. 

God's  ways  are  past  finding  out,  and  it  is  lamentable 
to  record  that  this  faithful  and  useful  pastor  of  the 
flock  of  Christ  was  spared  only  for  two  years,  dying, 
to  the  regret  and  loss  of  all,  on  his  way  to  England. 
But  though  the  great  Taskmaster  buries  his  workers, 
the  work  goes  on ;  and  as  those  whom  He  sent  to  feed 


AN   UNEXPECTED    AND   TIAPPY   MEETING. 


73 


His  flock  on  that  fatal  shore  were  in  succession  laid 
low,  He  supplied  their  places  with  other  brave  and 

capable  men. 

Although  in  Bishop  Vidal  the  Mission  lost  a  valu- 
able helper  the  vacant  episcopate  was  well  filled  again 
by  Bishop  Weeks,  who  had  a  long  and  useful  knowledge 
of  the  colony  already.  Then  on  his  decease  from  fever, 
after  two  years'  work,  Dr.  Bowen  left  the  Holy  Land 
to  take  his  place.  Two  years  more,  and  he,  too,  died 
in  harness;  and  since  then  Sierra  Leone  has  had 
three  other  bishops  in  succession. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

ANOTHER  Brave  and  Better  Voyage. 
— ^f- — 


"  Thou,  whose  Almighty  Word, 
Chaos  and  darkness  heard, 

And  took  their  flight. 
Hear  us,  we  humbly  pray. 
And  where  the  Gospel-day 
Sheds  not  its  glorious  ray 

Let  there  be  light." — Marriott. 

*^ 


AN  expedition  was  once  more  fitted  out  to  learn  the 
secret  of  the  Niger,  and  to  follow — and  if  possible 
further  extend — the  path  of  their  unhappy  predecessors. 
In  this  case  it  was  with  the  consent,  but  not  at  the 
expense  of  the  English  Government,  having  been 
started  by  Mr.  Macgregor  Laird,  a  merchant  of  Mincing 
Lane,  who,  with  a  small  party  on  his  vessel  the  Pleiad, 
had  made  up  his  mind  "  to  establish  a  basis  of  com- 
merce with  the  nations  of  the  interior."  There  was 
also  another  incentive  in  the  fact  that  Dr.  Barth,  the 
eminent  African  traveller,  was  supposed  to  be  lost  in 
the  interior,  and  it  was  hoped  that  the  expedition 
might  meet  with  him,  and  bring  him  home.     By  the 


ANOTHER   BRAVE   AND   BETTER   VOYAGE.  75 

permission  of  the  Committee  of  the  Church  Missionary 
Society,  CroNvther  was  permitted  to  accompany  the 
explorers,  and  Mr.  Simon  Jonas,  a  native  interpreter 
and  a  Christian,  was  also  allowed  to  make  another 
of  the  party. 

Crowther  had  by  this  time  returned  to  Africa,  and 
had  continued,  at  Abeolmta  and  elsewhere,  to  make 
known  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ.  He  spent 
some  time  in  Sierra  Leone,  preaching  in  a  manner  to 
arouse  the  greatest  enthusiasm  on  behalf  of  his  work 
up  the  river.  On  landing  at  Lagos  he  was  struck  with 
the  recollections  of  the  place,  when  as  a  little  slave  boy 
he  had  first  caught  sight,  with  fear  and  trembling,  of 
the  great  sea.  He  says,  "  I  could  well  reoollect  many 
places  I  knew  during  my  captivity,  so  I  went  over  the 
spots  where  slave  barracoons  used  to  be.  What  a 
difference !  Some  of  the  spots  are  now  converted  into 
plantations  of  maize  and  cassava,  and  sheds  built  on 
others  are  filled  with  casks  of  palm  oil  and  other 
merchandise,  instead  of  slaves  in  chains  and  irons, 
in  agony  and  despair." 

His  church  at  Abeokuta  was  a  large  and  well-built 
edifice,  boasting  eight  windows,  and  generally  filled 
with  a  dense  congregation  of  about  three  hundred 
natives.  In  one  place  the  school  children  were 
seated,  and  all  through  the  service  the  attentive 
audience,  dressed  in  native  costume,  was  a  gratifying 
example  of  what  Christianity  can  do  for  the  welfare 
of  savage  man. 

Already  the  babalamos  or  priests  were  gaining  an 
ascendency  over  the  mind  of  the  new  chief,  and  as  a 
consequence  a  persecution  broke  out  which  sorely  tried 
the  faithfulness   of  the   converts.     At   one   time   so 


76  SAMUEL  CROWTHER. 

violent  did  this  tyranny  rage  that  Crowther's  house 
was  watched  day  and  night,  and  none  suffered  to 
speak  to  the  missionaries  under  pain  of  death. 

Under  such  circumstances  those  who  were  stedfast 
were  brought  into  more  vital  union  with  each  other 
and  their  common  Lord ;  and  when  abetter  day  dawned, 
it  was  upon  a  church  purified  and  established  in  faith 
and  patience.  We  can  well  imagine  with  what 
affection  and  regret  these  simple  people  came  to  say 
farewell  to  Crowther  as  once  more  he  essayed  to  extend 
the  Kingdom  of  God  into  regions  of  the  upper  river 
which  they  had  not  visited  before. 

His  journals  of  this  voyage  are  full  of  deep  interest, 
and  extracts  from  them  will  be  welcome  to  the  reader 
of  these  pages.  When  the  party  began  to  ascend  the 
river,  with  the  dismal  recollection  of  the  death-rate 
of  the  previous  expedition  in  view,  Crowther  thought 
that  probably  the  mischief  of  fever  which  had  been 
so  fatal  then  was  the  result  of  the  green  wood  being 
packed  in  the  bunkers  for  days  together,  and  there- 
fore he  suggested  the  advisability  in  this  case  of 
stowing  the  fuel  in  canoes  to  drift  astern.  This  pre- 
caution, which  was  readily  adopted,  doubtless  saved 
the  expedition  from  sickness  and  consequent  failure. 

On  the  21st  July  1854,  the  Pleiad  anchored  off  Aboh 
or  Ibo,  where  the  brave  explorers  of  1841  had  made 
some  progress  with  the  king.  They  had  promised  one 
day  to  return,  and  it  is  said  that  the  old  man  used  to 
watch  in  vain  for  the  coming  ships,  and  at  last  told 
his  sons  with  a  sad  regret,  "  The  white  man  has 
forgotten  me  and  his  promise  too."  There  had  also 
been  some  misunderstanding  about  the  death  of  Mr. 
Carr,  a  medical  missionary  who  had  disappeared  in 


ANOTHER   BRAVE   AND   BETTER  VOYAGE.  77 

the  king's  dominions,  and  hostilities  -were  actually 
commenced  with  a  view  to  punish  Obi  for  the  offence. 
In  Mr.  Schon's  opinion,  however,  the  old  king  was 
innocent,  and  would  have  protected  the  EngHshman 
had  it  been  in  his  province  and  power.  When  the 
Pleiad  reached  the  place,  it  was  to  hear  of  the  old 
king's  decease,  and  that  his  three  sons  were  disputing 
the  heirship,  and  indeed  agreeuag  only  upon  the  one 
point :  that  when  the  white  man  came  he  would  tell 
them  who  should  reign.  The  rightful  heir  seems  to 
have  been  Tshukuma,  and  to  him  Crowther  and  his 
party  paid  a  pre-arranged  visit. 
He  says,  "We  landed  close  to 
Tshukuma's  house,  which  was 
very  small  and  confined,  his 
old  house  had  been  lately 
burnt.  He  had  been  wor- 
shipping his  god  that  morn- 
mg,  which  we  saw  on  his  piazza, 
in  a  calabash  placed  in  the 
front  of  a  wall,  covered  with  a 
white  sheet.     We  waited  about 

ten  minutes  before  Tshukuma  made  his  appearance, 
dressed  in  a  pair  of  thin  Turkish  trousers,  a  white 
shii-t,  a  white  waistcoat,  and  a  string  of  coral  beads 
about  his  neck.  He  is  smaller  in  size  than  Obi,  his 
father,  is  very  soft  in  his  manners,  and  seems  not 
possessed  of  much  energy.  He  shook  us  all  heartily 
by  the  hand,  and  in  a  short  time  the  little  square 
was  crowded  to  excess,  so  that  there  was  no  room 
to  move,  and  the  place  seemed  so  thronged  that  it 
was  difficult  to  keep  one's  seat  on  the  mat  spread  for 
our  accommodation.     Tshukuma  used  all  his  efforts 


78  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

to  command  silence,  but  to  no  purpose.  Obi's 
daughters  and  the  chief's  wives  took  their  turns  to 
command  silence,  but  it  only  increased  the  noise. 
At  last  Tshukuma  requested  us  to  frighten  the  people 
away,  which  of  course  we  did  not  do.  As  it  was 
impossible  to  obtain  perfect  silence,  I  suggested  to 
Dr.  Baikie  to  begin  business,  as  we  could  manage  to 
keep  close  enough  to  hear  each  other." 

After  this  a  conference  was  held,  and  an  endeavour 
was  made  to  remove  the  feeling  of  suspicion  and 
want  of  confidence  which  rested  on  the  mind  of 
Tshukuma.  "Even  then,"  adds  Crowther,  "Tshu- 
kuma said  my  words  were  too  good  to  hope  that  they 
would  be  realised,  and  that  he  would  not  believe  any- 
thing until  he  had  seen  us  do  as  we  proposed ;  that 
there  was  no  difficulty  on  their  part,  nor  need  we  fear 
any  unwillingness  to  receive  those  who  may  be  sent 
to  them,  or  learn  what  they  may  be  taught ;  but  that 
the  fault  rests  with  us,  in  not  fulfilling  what  we  pro- 
mised to  do."  This  will  show  how  quick-witted 
these  heathen  are,  and  how  jealous  of  then*  own 
importance. 

Shortly  afterwards  the  king  came  on  board  the 
vessel,  where  they  had  further  conversation;  and 
came  again  on  Sunday,  July  23rd,  when  Crowther 
preached  on  deck  from  the  words,  "  Behold  the 
Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the 
world."  The  service  over,  Crowther  tells  us  that 
he  hastened  to  go  ashore  in  order  to  speak  to  the 
people  in  the  town,  and  he  then  had  the  opportunity 
of  a  conversation  with  the  chief  on  the  all-impor- 
tant subject  of  religion — Simon  Jonas  interpreting 
as  he  went  on. 


ANOTHER  BRAVE  AND  BETTER  VOYAGE.     79 

This  is  how  this  royal  savage  received  the  mes- 
bage :  "  The  quickness  with  which  he  caught  my 
explanation  of  the  all-sufficient  sacrifice  of  Jesus 
Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  for  the  sin  of  the  world  was 
gratifying.  I  endeavoured  to  illustrate  it  to  him  in 
this  simple  way,  What  would  you  think  of  any  per- 
sons who  in  broad  daylight  like  this,  should  light 
their  lamps  to  assist  the  brilliant  rays  of  the  sun  to 
enable  them  to  see  better?  He  said  it  would  be 
useless,  they  would  be  fools  to  do  so.  I  replied.  Just 
so — that  the  sacrifice  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of 
God,  was  sufficient  to  take  away  our  sins,  just  as  one 
sun  was  sufficient  to  give  light  unto  the  whole  world ; 
that  the  worshijp  of  country  fashion  and  numerous 
sacrifices,  which  shone  like  lamps  only  on  account  of 
the  darkness  of  their  ignorance  and  superstition^ 
though  repeated  again  and  again,  yet  cannot  take 
away  our  sins ;  but  that  the  sacrifice  of  Jesus  Christ, 
once  offered,  can  alone  take  away  the  sin  of  the  world. 
He  frequently  repeated  the  name,  Oparra  Tshuku ! 
Oparra  Tshuku  !  "    (Son  of  God  !  Son  of  God  !) 

After  varying  experiences  they  reached  Idda,  and 
sent  word  they  would  pay  the  Atta,  or  chief  thereof, 
a  visit.  Here,  again,  as  in  the  expedition  of  1841, 
the  king  refused  to  demean  himself  by  going  into  a 
canoe  to  receive  his  guests ;  and  it  was  not  until 
after  considerable  delay  they  reached  his  place,  and 
found  him  sitting  outside  the  verandah  of  the  palace, 
on  a  mud  bank  overspread  with  a  cloth,  with  an  old 
carpet  at  his  feet.  On  the  carpet  were  placed  his 
royal  message  sticks,  with  brass  bells  attached  to 
them,  and  an  old  broken  Souter-Johmiy  jug  stood 
before  him.     He  had  on  a  silk  velvet  tobi    and   a 


80  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

crown  of  white  .beads  fringed  with  red  parrot  tails  in 
front,  with  other  fanciful  decorations.  His  neck  was 
covered  with  a  large  quantity  of  strung  cowries  and 
corals,  and  other  beads.  This  interview  showed  the 
necessity  for  the  diplomatic  tact  with  which  Crowther, 
in  dealing  with  these  chiefs,  prevented  disagreeable 
results. 

As  they  proceeded  up  the  river,  traces  were  con- 
tinually seen  of  the  ravages  committed  by  the  Filatas, 
who  appeared  to  be  organized  bandits,  unwilling  to 
work  themselves,  and  living  upon  the  fruits  of  the 
industry  of  others.  So  terrible  was  the  desolation 
wrought  by  Dasaba,  one  of  the  chiefs,  that  the  whole  of 
the  right  bank  of  the  Niger  had  been  cleared  of  every 
iown  and  village  to  the  number  of  about  a  hundred, 
and  the  inhabitants  sold  into  slavery  or  killed. 

An  example  of  the  practice  of  these  bloodthirsty 
tribes  is  furnished  in  the  words  of  Crowther's  journal 
on  August  11th.  He  tells  us,  "  In  the  afternoon  he 
landed  at  Kende,  where  some  of  the  few  who  escaped 
seizure  by  the  Filatas  at  Pandu  have  taken  refuge. 
Here  again  is  a  picture  of  the  misery  these  poor 
people  are  doomed  to  go  through,  for  they  live  desti- 
tute of  everything  but  their  liberty,  and  that  with 
difficulty.  The  Filatas,  whose  aim  is  not  so  much  to 
kill  as  to  seize  and  enslave,  took  Pandu  by  treachery. 
They  professed  friendship,  and  entered  the  town  on 
that  pretence,  and  the  king  presented  them  with 
bullocks  and  other  necessaries.  But  when  a  sufficient 
number  had  got  in,  they  commenced  seizing  the 
inhabitants,  and  scarcely  gave  them  time  to  make 
resistance.  Only  the  king,  Oyigu,  and  a  few  persons 
about  him,  made  any  effort  to  repel  them  j  but  the 


82  SAMUEL   CROWTIIER. 

king  could  not  long  stand  against  his  enemies,  and 
was  killed  in  the  attempt.  A  great  number  was  caught, 
and  very  few  were  so  fortunate  as  to  escape.  The 
neighbouring  towns  and  villages  were  immediately 
deserted  by  the  inhabitants,  who  took  refuge  on  the 
left  side  of  the  river." 

It  is  not  surprising  that  the  appearance  of  the  white 
men  struck  terror  into  the  minds  of  the  poor  natives, 
who  had  lost  all  hope  and  happiness  under  the  rule 
of  these  Filatas.  When  the  steamer  had  reached 
Oruko  the  passage  had  become  increasingly  intricate, 
and  the  shallows  were  very  dangerous  to  their  pro- 
gress. At  last  the  captain,  with  Dr.  Hutchinson  and 
Mr.  Guthrie,  got  into  a  boat  to  take  soundings,  and 
returned  with  the  decision  not  to  proceed  any  further. 
However,  Dr.  Baikie,  who  was,  with  Crowther,  exceed- 
ingly anxious  to  penetrate  these  unknown  regions, 
took  entire  charge  of  the  vessel,  and  reached  a  place 
where  Adama,  the  king  of  the  Bassa  country,  met 
him.  This  king  had  also  the  same  sad  story  to  tell  of 
the  devastation  of  the  country  by  the  slave  trade ;  and 
after  receiving  a  few  presents,  undertook  to  protect 
any  white  men  who  should  come  up  the  river.  The 
old  man,  who  was  of  small  stature,  was  elaborately 
prepared  for  the  visit,  having  on  a  patchwork  shirt  of 
blue  and  white  triangles,  and  a  red  Turkey  cap  on  his 
head.  He  exhibited  considerable  politeness  to  his 
guest,  and  they  observed  that  he  was  saluted  by  kneel- 
ing on  the  ground,  two  fingers  of  each  hand  being 
rubbed  in  the  dust,  which  is  then  rubbed  on  the  fore- 
head several  times.  The  people  salute  each  other  bj' 
embracing,  the  right  hand  being  stretched  parallel 
with  the  other  as  far  as  the  shoulder. 


ANOTHER  EKAVE  AND  BETTER  VOYAGE.     83 

On  more  than  one  occasion  the  explorers  were  in 
considerable  danger.  Crowther  tells  us  that  at  one 
time  they  started  for  the  Mitchi  market  to  pur- 
chase yams  and  other  food.  "  On  our  approach  we 
heard  a  great  noise  and  clamour  in  the  market,  which 
is  held  in  canoes  on  the  water  side,  and  when  we  came 
near,  all  the  Ojgo  canoes  had  dispersed  in  different 
directions,  and  everything  was  in  great  confusion. 
Some  of  the  women  were  crying,  for  the  Mitchis  had 
plundered  their  property,  and  a  strong  party  had 
armed  themselves  with  bows  and  poisoned  arrows  to 
oppose  our  landing.  We  were  but  a  few  yards  from 
them,  but  could  not  speak  directly  with  them ;  besides 
which  there  was  such  uproar  and  excitement  that  it 
was  impossible  to  gain  their  attention.  They  at  times 
beckoned  us  in  defiance  to  land,  and  armed  people 
were  stationed  along  the  bank  to  oppose  our  doing  so. 
There  was  not  a  single  weapon  in  our  boat.  Dr. 
Baikie  held  out  some  handkerchiefs  as  an  inducement, 
but  the  very  sight  of  them  seemed  to  enrage  the 
people.  At  last  an  old  grey-bearded  man,  who  seemed 
to  be  the  chief,  with  great  passion  and  significant 
motion  of  both  hands,  wished  us  away." 

The  visitors  wisely  followed  this  advice.  They  after- 
wards found  that  these  warlike  natives  were  cannibals, 
who  devoured  the  bodies  of  their  enemies  killed  in 
battle.  Still,  it  is  very  satisfactory  to  note  that  in 
most  cases  the  people  received  these  visits  kindly,  and 
showed  their  gratitude  to  the  white  man  for  coming 
to  restore  peace  to  their  country. 

Once  a  singular  expression  was  used  by  a  native 
whom  they  descried  on  the  bank  of  the  river.  They 
addressed   him  in   the  Haussa   language,   which  he 


84  SAMUEL   CnOWTIIEPv. 

evidently  understood,  and  told  him  they  had  come 
from  the  white  man's  country,  and  wanted  to  see 
the  chief.  Immediately  he  shouted,  "  Bature  Anasara 
maidukia  na  gode  alia;"  that  is,  "White  men,  the 
Nazarenes,  men  of  property,  I  thank  God."  Still 
repeating  this  strange  cry,  h.e  assisted  the  party  to 
land,  and  led  them  into  the  bush,  where  the  chief 
and  a  large  party  of  armed  warriors  gave  them  a 
cordial  reception.  Perfectly  defenceless,  the  white  men 
moved  safely  among  them,  and  delighted  the  chief  and 
some  of  his  headmen  by  shaking  hands  with  them. 

Crowther  draws  attention  here  to  the  mistake  which 
explorers  make  in  judging  the  natives  of  Africa  as 
always  hostile  to  Europeans.  Making  allowance  for 
the  antipathy  aroused  everywhere  by  the  slave  trade, 
and  bearing  in  mind  that  the  frequent  tribal  wars 
made  the  carrying  of  arms  almost  a  necessit}^  he  is 
still  of  opinion  that  where  once  an  Englishman's 
peaceful  intentions  have  been  made  clear,  he  has  no 
cause  to  be  afraid. 

On  tlie  7th  November  the  gallant  explorers  safely' 
reached  Fernando  Po,  and  heartily  joined  in  raising 
their  Ebenezer  of  thanksgiving  for  journeying  mercies, 
through  many  perils  and  hardships  without  a  single 
person  being  the  worse  either  from  sickness  or  accident. 
Such  a  four  months'  experience  led  Crowther  to  close 
his  journal  with  the  words,  "  May  this  singular  in- 
stance of  God's  favour  and  protection  drive  us  nearer 
to  the  Throne  of  grace,  to  humble  ourselves  before  our 
God,  whose  instrument  we  are,  and  who  can  continue 
or  dispense  with  our  services  as  it  seems  good  to  His 
imerryig  wisdom." 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

A  Voyage  and  a  Wreck. 


-^[^ 


"  Speed  Thy  servants,  Saviour,  speed  them, 
Thou  art  Lord  of  winds  and  waves ; 
They  were  bound,  but  Thou  hast  freed  them, 
Now  they  go  to  free  the  slaves  ; 

Be  Thou  with  them, 
'Tis  Thine  arm  alone  that  saves." — Kellt. 

* 


A  GREAT  advance  had  been  made.  It  was  clear  that 
the  Niger  was  navigable,  and  that  the  natives 
were  not  unwilling  to  receive  the  representatives  of 
the  Christian  faith.  Crowther  returned  to  Abeokuta, 
and  having  had  a  conference  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hinderer  at  Ibadan,  and  Mr.  Mann  at  Ijaye,  the 
plan  of  missionary  effort  in  the  Yoruba  country  and 
elsewhere  was  fully  discussed. 

Soon  afterwards  Mr.  Gollmer,  who  had  been  his 
coadjutor  in  establishing  the  Christian  church  at 
Abeokuta,  returned  to  Europe,  and  Crowther  wag 
compelled  to  take  his  place  at  Lagos,  with  the  super- 
vision of  the  mission  stations  on  the  coast.  Here  he 
laboured  hard  at  his  translation  of  the  Bible  into  the 


86  SAMUEL   CROWTIIEH. 

Yoruba  language,  and  also  prepared  a  primer,  a 
vocabulary,  and  several  extracts  from  the  Word  of 
God  in  the  Ibo  language. 

In  the  year  185 G  his  old  teacher  and  guardian, 
Mr.  "Weeks,  returned  to  Africa,  as  we  have  already 
mentioned,  as  Bishop  of  Sierra  Leone.  After  a  very 
profitable  visitation  of  the  mission  field  up  the  river, 
he  fell  ill,  and  to  the  grief  of  all,  and  especially  of 
Crowther,  died  at  Sierra  Leone. 

The  time  had  now  arrived  when  in  the  judgment  of 
the  Church  Missionary  Society  another  expedition 
should  be  arranged  to  establish  a  Niger  Christian 
Mission.  The  Committee  made  an  appeal  by  depu- 
tation to  Lord  Palmerston,  and  in  1857  the  Day- 
spring  started  on  her  way.  It  was  at  first  intended, 
that  six  different  stations  were  to  be  established  as 
the  basis  of  future  mission  work,  and  for  this  purpose 
half-a-dozen  native  ministers  were  to  accompany 
Mr.  Crowther  and  his  fellow  European  missionaries. 
This,  however,  was  not  to  be ;  Bishop  Weeks  died,  as 
we  have  seen,  and  with  him  passed  to  his  rest, 
Mr.  Frey,  one  of  the  hard-working  ministers  of  his 
diocese.  Another  heavy  loss  was  occasioned  by  the 
death  of  Mr.  Beale,  one  of  the  mission  staff  who  had 
conferred  with  Crowther  about  the  approaching  expe- 
dition of  the  Dayspring.  Thus  the  mission  work  at 
Sierra  Leone  was  unable  to  spare  the  native  teachers 
originally  allotted  to  the  work,  and  the  vessel  had  to 
start  with  Crowther,  a  native  pastor,  Eev.  J.  C.  Taylor, 
from  Ibo,  Crowther's  old  friend  Simon  Jonas,  and  two 
youths  who  had  been  residing  with  Mr.  Schon.  Of  all 
the  expeditions  this  was,  humanly  speaking,  the  least 
prepared  for  such  a  great  and  difficult  enterprise,  and 


A    VOYAGE    AXD   A    U'JIECK:.  87 

yet  it  was  from  the  Dayspring  that  the  first  stations 
were  planted  of  the  Niger  mission.  The  importance 
of  this  jom'ney  up  the  river  cannot  be  over-estimated; 
and  although  it  came  to  an  abrupt  termination  at 
Eabbah,  we  shall  find  its  record,  as  described  in 
Crowther's  journal,  full  of  interest. 

One  of  the  principal  features  of  the  new  plan  of 
campaign  was  to  establish  a  strong  station  at  Abo, 
where  the  old  king  Obi,  as  we  have  already  seen, 
showed  such  a  willingness  to  receive  the  European 
guests.  They  had  already  on  a  previous  occasion 
visited  Tshukiima,  who  was  favourably  disposed  to- 
wards the  mission,  but  now  they  made  the  acquaint- 
ance of  Aje,  his  brother,  and  certainly  the  impression 
of  him  was  not  happy.  When  invited  on  board  he 
demanded  rum,  and  was  evidently  chiefly  disposed  to 
lay  his  hand  upon  whatever  he  could  get.  He  appears 
to  have  been  a  fine  example  of  the  acquisitive  heathen. 
Much  of  his  impertinence  and  bad  manners  Crowther 
charitably  attributes  to  his  familiarity  with  Europeans 
from  an  early  age.  Common  honesty  was  clearly  not 
one  of  his  virtues,  for  he  successfully  purloined,  or 
attempted  to  do  so,  Crowther's  slippers,  the  dinner 
bell,  the  cushion  against  which  his  royalty  leaned, 
and  a  cigar  which  one  of  the  party  incautiously  held 
in  his  hand  durmg  the  interview. 

When  the  party  landed,  and  prepared  to  secure  a 
piece  of  ground  for  premises  of  the  mission,  with  the 
joint  consent  of  these  two  rival  dignities,  Aje  was 
fmdously  jealous  of  Tshukuma's  presents,  and  was 
finally  pacified  with  a  pink  cocked  hat,  and  umbrella 
of  a  like  gaudy  hue.  Poor  human  nature !  Subse- 
quently  Aje,   with   all   his   wives   dressed   in   ships' 


88  SAM i; EL    CROWTIIER. 

bunting,  tried  to  make  an  impression  of  his  greatness, 
and  what  was  much  more  serious,  opposed  and  inter- 
fered with  the  estabhshmcnt  of  the  mission  in  his 
country.  And  yet  Crowthcr  makes  this  fair  note  of 
this  individual  on  leaving  him.  "  Before  quitting 
Abo  for  the  present  I  think  it  is  right  and  just  to 
say  a  word  in  favour  of  Aje's  faithfulness  in  one 
respect,  whatever  his  failings  may  be  in  other 
matters.  It  will  be  remembered  that  through  an 
interposition  in  1854,  the  prisoners  who  were  con- 
fined and  would  have  been  either  killed  or  sold  for 
their  offences,  were  then  released.  Since  that  time 
they  have  never  been  touched,  and  really  pardoned, 
according  to  Aje's  promise  to  us.  One  of  these  men 
on  seeing  me,  fell  on  his  knees  in  thankfulness  for  his 
deliverance,  and  on  the  return  of  his  companions, 
who  had  been  absent,  they  brought  me  some  palm 
wine  as  an  acknowledgment  of  their  gratitude.  Had 
not  these  men  introduced  themselves  three  years 
after  it  might  have  been  doubted  whether  Aje  had 
fulfilled  his  promise." 

Leaving  this  place,  the  Dayspring  passed  on  to  a 
very  important  town,  Onitsha,  which  is  140  miles  up 
the  river,  and  on  Ibo  territory.  At  first,  in  alarm  at 
the  first  sight  of  white  men  and  their  ships,  the 
natives  appeared  with  their  weapons  in  their  hands ; 
but  they  were  soon  reassured,  and  led  the  party 
along  a  road  to  their  town. 

The  cotton,  yams,  and  Indian  corn  were  very  well 
cultivated,  and  the  conduct  of  the  king  Akazua  and 
his  headmen  showed  no  small  amount  of  intelligence. 
The  visitors  were  entertained  by  the  king  and  his 
councillors,  who  heard  with  respect  all  their  proposed 


A    VOYAGE   AND   A   WRECK.  B'J 

plans;  and,  after  a  conference  together,  the  king 
stepped  forth  and  appealed  to  the  people  whether  they 
agreed  to  them  or  not.  A  spot  was  agreed  upon  where 
the  Mission  buildings  could  be  erected,  and  a  hired 
house  was  taken  in  preparation  for  a  factory.  The 
town  itself  is  embosomed  in  trees,  and  pleasantly 
situated  ;  and  the  houses  are  arranged  in  twenty-six 
groups.  Each  comprised  about  250  persons,  so  the 
population  as  a  whole  is  not  far  short  of  6500  souls. 
Here,  however,  they  were  in  fear  of  their  enemies,  and 
to  prevent  a  surprise  have  look-out  posts  established 
in  high  trees,  where  a  constant  vigilance  is  displayed. 
One  day,  when  the  visitors  entered  the  place,  there 
was  great  rejoicing,  beating  of  drums,  dancing  and 
frantic  gestures  and  moving.  Crowther  says,  "When 
we  came  to  our  lodging,  one  of  the  headmen  paid  us 
a  visit,  and  I  asked  him  the  cause  of  this  amusement, 
and  was  told  it  was  in  honour  of  the  burial  of  a 
relative  of  our  landlord  who  died  some  six  months  ago. 
Simon  Jonas,  who  remained  on  shore  last  night,  had 
heard  that  a  human  sacrifice  was  to  be  made  to  the 
manes  of  the  dead,  and  he  told  the  people  of  the 
wickedness  of  the  practice.  On  my  putting  the  ques- 
tion as  to  the  cause  of  the  amusement,  the  headman 
was  conscience  stricken,  and  told  Simon  Jonas  that 
the  victim  was  not  yet  killed.  We  then  took  the 
opportunity,  and  spoke  most  seriously  to  the  head- 
man in  the  hearing  of  many  people,  who  stood  in  the 
square,  of  the  abomination  of  this  wicked  practice,  the 
more  so,  as  the  victim  was  a  poor,  blameless,  female 
slave.  He  then  assured  us  that  he  had  not  known 
that  it  was  wrong  to  do  so ;  but  as  we  had  now  told 
them,  the  human  sacrifice  should  not  be  performed, 


90  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

but  a  bullock  should  be  killed  in  its  stead.  He 
proposed  that  we  should  buy  the  woman,  that  they 
might  buy  a  bullock  with  the  cowries  in  her  stead. 
This  we  refused  to  do,  as  we  are  not  slave  traders. 
He  then  said  that  the  woman  should  be  sold  to  some- 
body else,  which  we  thought  was  better  than  to  kill 
her.  Before  we  returned  to  the  ship,  Simon  Jonas 
was  told  that  the  poor  woman  was  loosed  from  her 
bonds." 

Here  Crowther  left  Mr.  Taylor  to  prepare  the  work 
and  settle  the  mission  at  Onitsha. 

We  follow  the  voyagers  through  various  experiences 
until  they  reach  Idda.  Here,  after  much  delay  and 
parade  of  heathen  dignity,  the  party  were  admitted  to 
the  Atta,  who  received  them  in  great  state,  seated  on 
his  throne  and  dressed  in  a  rich  silk-velvet  robe  of 
light  green  hue.  The  conference  was  much  assisted 
by  the  presence  and  sympathy  of  the  Lady  Adama, 
a  dowager  queen,  and  a  site  for  mission  buildings  was 
secured  in  a  very  favourable  situation.  The  position 
of  this  town,  standing  on  a  high  cliff,  and  overlooking 
the  confluence  of  the  Kworra  and  Tshadda  rivers, 
marked  it  as  a  point  of  great  value  in  the  future  plan 
of  work. 

Passing  up  the  Kworra  the  Day  spring  soon  found 
itself  on  the  friendly  waters  of  the  Galadima,  and 
here  they  were  shown  an  old  copy  of  the  Koran.  The 
importance  of  a  knowledge  of  Arabic  was  evident ;  and 
Crowther  makes  a  note  at  this  point,  that  their  native 
catechists  should  be  taught  this  language  at  the 
seminary  at  Sierra  Leone.  He  tells  us  how  in  the 
town  of  Gbebe  he  began  teaching  the  natives  : — 

"  Besides  my  English,  I  took  an  Arabic  Bible  and 


A   VOYAGE   AND   A   AVRECK,  91 

Schon's  translations  of  Matthew  and  John  into 
Ilaussa,  and  an  Ibo  primer,  out  of  which  to  teach  the 
alphabet.  Taking  my  seat  in  the  Galadima's  ante- 
hall — which  is  the  common  resort  of  all  people,  holding 
from  forty  to  fifty  persons — a  number  of  both  sexes, 
old  and  young,  soon  entered  as  usual  to  look  on. 
Having  carefully  placed  my  books  on  the  mat,  after 
the  custom  of  the  Mallams,  Mr.  Crooke  sitting  on  my 
right,  and  Kasumo  on  my  left,  I  commenced  my 
conversation  by  telling  them  that  to-day  was  the 
Christian  Sabbath,  in  which  we  rest  from  our  labour, 
according  to  the  commandment  of  God.  The  Galadima 
came  in,  and  to  him  I  read  some  verses  from  the 
third  chapter  of  St.  John  in  the  Haussa  language,  in 
the  hearing  of  the  people,  which  he  understood,  and 
which  by  further  explanation  became  more  intelligible 
to  him.  In  the  meantime  some  Mohammedans  walked 
in,  and  desired  to  see  the  Arabic  Bible,  which  I 
delivered  to  Kasumo  to  read  and  translate  to  them. 
The  Galadima,  who  reads  Arabic,  expressed  a  wish, 
as  soon  as  the  school  is  opened,  to  learn  to  read 
Haussa  in  Eoman  or  Italic  character.  There  was  an 
intelligent  young  man  present  who  could  read  Arabic, 
who  was  also  very  anxious  to  read  our  translations  in 
the  Italic  character. 

"  After  a  long  talk  I  ran  over  the  alphabet  from 
the  Ibo  primer  several  times,  with  the  Galadima  and 
the  young  man,  at  which  they  showed  much  quickness 
and  intelligence.  I  then  gave  this  Arabic  copy  of 
the  Bible  as  a  present  to  the  Galadima.  This  was  so 
unexpected  that  he  did  not  know  how  sufficiently  to 
express  his  gratitude  in  words,  and,  contrary  to  the 
usage  of  the  Mohammedans,   he  actually  was  going 


02  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

to  throw  dust  on  his  forehead,  as  a  token  of  the 
vakie  he  placed  on  the  gift,  when  Kasumo  stopped 
him  by  saying  it  was  not  our  custom  to  do  so.  He 
said  his  father  would  be  able  to  read  it  fluently. 
May  the  Lord  bless  this  small  and  feeble  beginning 
of  an  attempt  to  mtroduce  the  religion  of  Christ  into 
this  benighted  part  of  Africa  !  May  the  prayers  of 
the  Church  be  heard  on  its  behalf." 

We  shall  see  later  on  that  this  prayer  was 
answered. 

At  Egga  or  Eggan,  as  it  is  there  pronounced,  they 
found  an  aged  chief  who  remembered  the  1841  Ex- 
pedition, and  received  them  very  cordially.  His 
town  is  filthy,  and  after  a  shower  of  rain  almost 
impassable  with  soft  mud.  His  Majesty  used  high 
clogs  under  the  circumstances ;  while  his  guests, 
sinking  at  every  step  far  above  the  ankles,  panted 
after  him  in  vain.  Picking  their  way  through  the 
streets  they  heard  a  little  boy  rehearsing  his  lesson 
in  Arabic ;  and  further  on,  seeing  what  they  thought 
to  be  a  mosque,  they  found  a  barber's  shop,  in  which 
the  operators  were  shaving  the  head,  the  eyebrows, 
the  armpits,  and  the  nostrils  of  their  customers  with 
marvellous  facility  and  safety. 

As.  they  passed  Fo-Fo,  the  mate  of  the  Day  spring 
breathed  his  last,  and  was  buried  on  the  sand  beach. 
Arriving  at  Eabbah  the  Dayspring  unhappily  struck 
upon  a  rock,  and  within  a  very  short  time  settled 
down  aft  on  her  starboard  side.  Crowther  and  his 
companions  escaped  in  time  upon  the  shore ;  and 
under  the  discomfort  of  a  severe  tornado  made  a  tent 
of  mats,  into  which  they  gathered  such  effects  as  they 
could  rescue,  and  began  to  look  very  anxiously  for  the 


^i>f^ 


94  SA^MUEL   CROWTHER. 

steamer  Sunbeam,  which  was  to  follow  them.  To  acLl 
to  the  danger  of  the  situation,  the  native  Kroomen  were 
insubordinate,  and  the  headman  had  to  be  threatened 
with  irons  to  save  a  revolt. 

The  native  chiefs  into  whose  hands  they  had  fallen 
were  not  very  friendly;  and  in  addition  to  the 
disappointment  occasioned  by  the  loss  of  the  ship 
and  the  termination  of  the  enterprise,  they  had  much 
to  unsettle  and  distress  them.  But  one  day,  in  the 
midst  of  a  crowd  of  warriors,  a  strange  voice  saluted 
them  with,  *'  Good  morning,  sir !  "  and  the  speaker 
proved  to  be  Henry  George,  a  Sunday  scholar  at 
Abeokuta  who  had  joined  the  army  of  Dasaba,  and 
had  passed  through  many  trials.  This  providential 
meeting  led  to  the  man  being  engaged  by  Crowther 
as  guide  and  servant,  and  he  accompanied  them  on 
their  overland  journey  to  Abeokuta. 

Reaching  Ogbomosho  they  were  delighted  to  meet 
with  the  Eev.  Mr.  Clark,  a  Baptist  minister,  who 
entertained  them.  Shortly  afterwards  they  spent 
Christmas  Day  on  the  banks  of  the  Niger,  one  of  the 
party  concocting  a  plum  pudding.  After  a  narrow 
escape  from  the  attack  of  a  leopard,  and  other  stirring 
incidents,  they  had  the  melancholy  duty  of  burying 
Mr.  Howard,  the  purser,  and  one  of  the  Kroomen, 
who  had  died. 

At  one  time  they  were  passing  through  a  Moham- 
medan district  at  the  time  of  the  Eamadan,  and 
much  conversation  ensued  upon  the  observation  of 
the  Christian  Sabbath  and  the  obligation  of  fasting. 
"Do  not  the  Anasaras  fast?"  was  a  constant  query. 
Crowther's  reply  was,  "Yes,  they  do  fast;  but  the 
fast  of  the  Anasaras  is  of  a  more  private  and  con- 


A   VOYAGE   AND  A   WRECK. 


95 


scientious  kind  than  your  public  one.  Thousands  of 
the  Anasaras  may  fast  to-day,  and  their  neighbours 
know  nothing  of  it;  but  their  fast  is  known  only 
to  God  and  themselves.  Just  so  is  their  prayer  in 
secret,  as  Christ  has  taught  us  !  "  The  reply  always 
received  was,  *'  You  are  true  persons ;  and  your 
religion  is  superior  to  ours." 

It  is  noticeable  how  frequently  these  poor  healhen 
expressed  their  appreciation  of  the  advantage  of  the 
Christian  religion  as  compared  with  their  own,  even 
when  mixed  with  those  inducements  which  to  the 
natural  man  would  be  so  attractive  in  the  creed  of 
Mohammed.  The  truth  is,  in  the  Gospel  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  they  heard  the  voice  of  a  herald  pro- 
claiming good  news  of  liberty  to  the  captive,  not 
merely  as  regards  slavery,  but  with  respect  to  those 
galling  bonds  which  a  false  religion  had  thrust  upon 
them.  They  had  endured  a  yoke,  but  had  never 
known  a  peace ;  and  to  them  at  last  came  One  who 
bade  them  come  unto  Him  in  their  weariness,  and  He 
would  give  them  refreshment  of  soul  and  rest. 


— 

-"    --" 

fM 

n     -^^^  .;*- 

^,.^,,\-.^v;'^?h^^aS'"'  ---"  - 

J^^ 

-    -  ^   -  ^-~^:  ,  .3^.--  -  i-^ss^^^sfei  *&<.. 

-« 

CHAPTER   LX. 

An  Enforced  Halt— Onitsha. 


-^ 


"  Come  labour  on  ! 
Away  with  gloomy  doubts  and  faitlile'^s  fear, 
No  arm  so  weak  but  may  do  service  here  ; 
By  feeblest  agents  can  our  God  fulfil 

His  righteous  will. 

"  Come  labour  on  ! 
Ko  time  for  rest,  till  glows  the  western  sky, 
While  the  long  shadows  o'er  our  pathway  lie, 
And  a  glad  sound  comes  with  the  settinpr  sun, 

Servants,  well  done  !  " — H.  L.  L. 

-^ 


THE  loss  of  the  Daysjjring,  while  it  precluded  any 
farther  progress  up  the  river,  left  Crowther  and 
his  party  to  settle  for  a  time  at  Eabhah  and  the 
immediate  neighbourhood.  That  which  is  perplexing 
to  the  huiLan  mind  is,  however,  always  in  God's  good 
time  evidence  of  His  goodwill  and  guiding  providence ; 
and  so  we  find  that  the  visits  of  the  future  Bishop  of 
the  Niger  to  the  kings  and  headmen  of  these  out-of-the- 
way  places  prepared  the  way  for  the  establishment  of 
Christian  missions  in  their  midst  at  a  future  day. 
Crowther's  journals,  written  in  the  midst  of  these 


AN   ENFORCED   HALT.  97 

wild  people,  and  often  under  circumstances  of  peril, 
are  full  of  deeply  interesting  incidents.  The  people 
of  Nupe  held  the  great  river  which  flowed  through 
their  land,  the  Niger,  in  high  esteem.  Their  in- 
tensely superstitious  minds  had  believed  it  to  be 
the  mother  of  all  the  rivers  of  the  world,  and  it 
was  customary  when  the  corn  ripened  to  offer  a 
few  grains  to  the  rushing  stream,  with  many  prayers 
to  propitiate  its  powers.  Here  also  there  is  the 
divine  worship  of  the  manes  of  the  dead  which  we 
find  in  all  quarters  of  the  inhabited  world.  That 
strange  undying  impress  of  immortality  links  the 
living  with  those  who  are  passed  into  the  land  of 
spirits. 

As  in  Yoruba,  the  natives  of  Nup^  sacrifice  to 
these  spirits  under  .the  personation  of  a  mask,  and 
Crowther  tells  us  that  the  Gunuko  or  masquerader 
who  performs  this  function  is  of  an  enormous  height. 
Raised  some  twelve  or  fifteen  feet  by  slight  bamboo 
supports,  and  dressed  in  a  frightful  costume,  he  dances 
along  the  villages,  filling  the  hearts  of  the  people 
with  terror,  and  his  own  hands  with  the  cowries  which 
they  gladly  give  him. 

This  constant  fear,  which  made  the  hearts  of  the 
poor  natives  quake,  was  prevalent  everywhere,  and 
Crowther  laboured  hard  to  break  the  fetter  from  their 
spirits,  pointing  them  to  that  Great  Deliverer  whose 
perfect  love  casteth  out  all  fear. 

In  one  respect  the  religion  of  the  Yoruba  natives 
corresponds  with  that  of  the  Chinese.  They  have  a 
rite  by  which  a  sheep  is  offered  as  a  sacrifice  to  their 
ancestors.  In  our  illustration  the  figures  traced  on 
the  wall  represent  the  honoured  dead,  and  the  various 

u 


98  SAMUEL  GROWTH  ER. 

birds,  agricultural  implements,  and  so  forth,  are  to 
set  forth  his  rank  and  condition.  The  zigzag  scroll 
work  is  the  sacred  signs  of  the  Oro  worship,  and  is 
coloured  red  and  white.  Before  the  victim  is  killed 
some  leaves  are  given  to  it ;  and  when  its  blood  is 
shed  it  is  caught  in  a  bowl,  and  then  reverently 
sprinkled  upon  the  forehead  of  the  persons  present. 

During  Crowther's  wanderings  at  this  time  the  work 
and  influence  of  Mohammedanism  was  plainly  dis- 
cerned as  having  its  non  grip  on  the  consciences  of 
the  people ;  and  when  in  the  course  of  his  preaching 
he  alluded  to  Adam,  Noah,  Abraham,  or  any  of  the 
ancient  patriarchs,  the  natives  recognised  the  names 
at  once  as  being  taught  them  by  the  Mallams. 

These  teachers  of  the  false  prophet  are  most  diligent 
in  their  efforts  to  extend  the  belief  of  their  religion. 
Sometimes  they  will  spend  the  whole  night  in  the 
tents  of  the  kings  and  chiefs,  reading  to  them  from 
the  Koran,  and  expounding  it  to  their  listeners.  Its 
stra.nge  and  imaginative  stories,  just  written  in  a  style 
to  catch  the  attention  of  a  barbaric  outlaw,  with  his 
many  wives  and  unlimited  lust  of  battle,  chain  the 
attention  of  the  African  people. 

In  the  practical  working  of  the  Moslem  creed,  too,  the 
harms  and  fetishes  are  found  very  useful  auxiliaries, 
as,  for  instance,  when  the  story  of  Jonah  is  told.  The 
Mallams  relate  that  this  prophet,  called  Nunsa-bun- 
Mata  (Jonah  the  son  of  Amittai),  presumptuously  fling- 
ing himself  into  the  sea,  a  great  fish  swallowed  him. 
An  alligator  then  swallowed  the  fish;  and  finally  a 
hippopotamus  swallowed  the  alligator.  So  in  these 
threefold  walls  Jonah  hid  a  thousand  years,  and  then 
in  answer  to  his  prayer  God  commanded  these  creatures 


SACRIflCIAL   WORSHIP   OF   ANCESTORS   AMONG   THE   NATIVES. 


100  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

to  throw  him  upon  the  land.  The  gaping  wonder 
with  which  this  extraordinary  story  is  received  may 
be  well  imagined ;  and  the  lesson  is  so  readily  believed 
that  whenever  anyone  has  a  fish-bone  in  his  throat  he 
has  only  to  say  "  Nunsa-bun-Mata,"  and  the  charm 
will  remove  it.  • 

Crowther  on  several  occasions  saw  these  Mallams 
produce  a  long  parchment  roll  inscribed  with  the 
names  of  the  great  angels  and  prophets,  beginning 
with  Gabriel,  and  at  the  foot  of  the  list  is  Isa,  Jesus. 

Surely  the  day  will  come,  is  the  anticipation  of  the 
true  Christian,  when  He  whose  right  it  is  to  reign, 
whose  Name  is  above  every  name,  shall  enlighten 
these  dark  places  of  the  earth  with  His  glorious  light 
of  life.  Crowther,  face  to  face  with  this  great  enemy 
of  Christianity,  places  on  record  his  impressions  of 
the  magnitude  of  the  evil,  and  how  needful  it  is  that 
Mohammedanism  shall  be  dealt  with  wisely.  He 
says  : — 

"  These  are  the  people  Christian  missionaries  have 
to  withstand  and  oppose  ;  their  false  doctrines  have  to 
be  exposed,  their  errors  corrected,  and  they,  as  well  as 
the  heathen  population,  led  and  directed  to  Him  who 
is  'the  Way,  the  Truth,  and  the  Life.'  In  doing  this 
a  few  things  must  be  remembered,  namely,  that  they 
are  the  masters  of  the  country,  and  bigoted  protectors 
of  their  religion,  and  that  by  this  *  craft '  the  Mallams 
have  their  wealth.  If  these  things  are  not  well  pon- 
dered, and  the  instruction  of  our  blessed  Saviour,  'Be 
wise  as  serpents,'  is  not  closely  adhered  to  and 
practised,  we  may  defeat  our  object  of  doing  any  good, 
either  to  the  Mohammedans  themselves  or  to  the 
heathen  population  under   their  government.     Now 


AN  ENFORCED  HALT.  101 

that  so  many  centuries  have  passed  without  this  light 
of  the  glorious  Gospel  of  Christ  shining  into  the 
country,  and  into  the  dark  hearts  of  this  benighted 
people,  now  that  it  has  pleased  the  Lord  of  the 
harvest  to  give  the  Church  an  access  to  them,  shall 
His  servants  by  an  unwise  step  block  up  the  way 
against  themselves,  and  the  introduction  of  the  Gospel 
of  Christ,  by  a  zeal  without  knowledge,  which  may 
prompt  them  to  act  as  if  the  natives  were  the  nation 
to  be  converted  in  a  day  ? 

"  The  soil  on  which  we  have  to  work  in  this  un- 
ploughed  ground  is  gross  heathenism  and  Moham- 
medan bigotry,  through  ignorance. 

*'  The  Word  preached  finds  a  more  yielding  soil  in 
the  minds  of  the  heathen  hearers  than  in  that  of 
prejudiced  Mohammedans.  The  same  reasonable 
Scriptural  exposure  of  the  heathen  superstition  made 
use  of  by  the  Prophet  Elijah  (1  Kings  xviii.),  by  the 
Psalmist  (Psa.  cxv.),  and  by  the  Prophet  Isaiah  (Ixiv.), 
sympathetically  read  to  them,  applied  to  the  hearts 
by  the  Holy  Spirit,  never  failed  to  have  the  desired 
effect.  Hence  our  success  among  this  class  of  the 
people,  among  whom  we  labour. 

*'  On  the  contrary,  Mohammedanism  arms  the  hearts 
of  its  professors  with  deadly  weapons  against  Chris- 
tianity, by  denying  its  fundamental  doctrine,  the 
Sonship  of  Christ,  and  His  divinity  as  one  with  God 
the  Father,  to  be  blasphemy  according  to  the  teaching 
of  the  Koran. 

"Thus  their  hearts  are  hardened  with  prejudices, 
self-conceit,  self-righteous  spirit,  and  self-confidence 
in  their  meritorious  religious  performances,  especially 
in  prayer  and  fasting,  and  in  works  of  supererogation, 


102  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

w?iich  they  believe  they  can  make  over  for  the  benefit 
of  others  who  are  deficient.  They  are  freely  allowed 
the  indulgence  of  the  sinful  lust  of  the  flesh ;  they  do 
not  scruple  to  commit  acts  of  cruelty  and  oppression 
on  those  who  are  not  professors  of  their  faith ;  slave- 
holding  and  trading  is  fully  sanctioned,  to  carry  out 
which  slave  wars  are  waged  against  the  heathens  with 
great  cruelty,  in  order  to  enslave  them  with  oppression 
and  violence,  without  remorse,  contrary  to  the  law  of 
charity,  '  Do  to  others  as  you  would  that  they  should 
do  to  you.'  Hence  slave  wars  have  desolated  the 
lands  of  populous  heathen  tribes  and  nations,  whose 
inhabitants  were  carried  away  captives  and  sold  into 
slavery,  and  those  who  are  reserved  in  the  country  are 
doomed  to  perpetual  servitude,  hewers  of  wood  and 
drawers  of  water,  and  most  oppressive  tributaries. 

"  This  is  a  faint  description  of  the  soil  of  the  minds 
of  the  professors  of  Islamism,  in  which  the  seed  of  the 
Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  is  being  attempted  to  be  sown, 
by  j)reaching  repentance  of  sin  and  a  renewed  change 
of  heart  through  faith  in  Christ  Jesus  the  Son  of  God, 
who  is  *  the  Way,  the  Truth,  and  the  Life,'  without 
whom  none  can  come  unto  the  Father.  But  for  all  his 
earnestness,  the  preacher  is  looked  upon  with  horrified 
contempt  as  a  blasphemer,  because  God  never  had  a 
Son.  *  There  is  no  God  but  God,  and  Mohammed  is 
His  prophet.'  Notwithstanding  these  stern  oppositions 
from  Mohammedans,  one  feature  of  encouragement 
that  Christianity  shall  prevail  must  not  be  overlooked, 
namely,  Christianity  was  only  recently  introduced 
into  these  parts  of  West  Africa — to  Abeokuta  in  the 
Yoruba  Mission  in  1846,  and  to  the  Niger  in  1857 — 
notwithstanding    that    Mohammedanism    had    been 


ONITSHA.  103 

introduced  into  these  countries  a  century  before,  with 
full  licence  of  all  sinful  enjoyments. 

"  What  surprises  me  most  is,  that  Christianity,  with 
its  strict  restraints  of  the  enjoyment  of  sinful  lusts, 
and,  moreover,  enjoining  conscientious  self-denial  of 
all  the  allurements  of  the  world,  the  flesh,  and  the 
devil,  should  get  so  many  converts  in  the  face  of  all 
the  free  allowances  in  the  enjoyments  of  all  these  by 
the  religion  of  the  false  prophet.  It  proves  that 
Christianity  appeals  to  the  hearts  and  consciences  of 
man  as  a  reasonable  being  who  ought  to  judge 
between  truth  and  error.  Even  some  Mohammedans 
have  been  known  to  admit  the  truth  of  Christianity, 
but  dare  not  confess  it,  lest  they  should  be  persecuted 
by  their  co-religionists.  Notwithstanding  all  oppo- 
sitions, Christ  '  shall  divide  the  spoil  with  the  strong  ' 
in  this  spiritual  warfare." 

Crowther's  idea  clearly  is  that,  instead  of  spending 
our  time  and  strength  in  fighting  the  Moslem  creed, 
we  had  better  pass  it  by  in  silence,  and  trust  to  the 
sword  of  the  Spirit  to  win  the  victory  for  Christ. 
Mohammedanism,  baleful  as  it  is,  must  be  treated  as 
an  accomplished  fact,  which  however  must  fade  and 
lessen  as  the  knowledge  of  the  Saviour  spreads  abroad. 
But  a  positive  attack  upon  it  will  probably  result  in 
the  incensed  enmity  of  its  votaries,  and  the  Christian 
missionaries  being  driven  from  the  spheres  of  their 
labours  for  the  Lord. 

One  of  the  most  important  results  of  the  voyage  of 
the  Dayspring  was  the  foundation  being  laid  of  the 
mission  work  at  Onitsha.  This  important  point  on 
the  Niger  was  reached  at  the  end  of  July,  1857,  and  it 
will  be  remembered  how  favourably  the  visitors  were 


104  SAMUEL  CROWTHER. 

received  by  the  king,  Obi  Akazua.  After  Crowther 
had  carefully  prepared  the  way,  and  stayed  for  a  short 
time  to  arrange  with  the  king  and  his  chiefs  as  to  the 
site  for  mission  premises,  he  left  the  Eev.  J.  C.  Taylor, 
a  native  missionary,  with  Simon  Jonas,  the  interpreter, 
to  take  charge  of  the  work. 

Fortunately,  Mr.  Taylor  kept  a  journal  of  his 
experiences  in  the  midst  of  this  field  of  labour.  He 
tells  us  that  soon  after  he  had  settled  down,  he  called 
upon  one  of  the  chiefs  and  entered  into  conversation 
with  him  in  his  hut.  "  I  drew  his  mind  to  the 
principles  of  religion,  and  pointed  out  to  him  the 
sinful  nature  of  man  by  nature.  I  asked  him 
whether  he  had  a  soul  ?  *  Yes,'  he  replied.  '  How  is 
that  soul  to  be  saved?'  ' Amazoru,'  i.e.,  '1  do  not 
know,'  was  the  answer.  Then  I  pointed  out  to  him 
that  Jesus  Christ  is  'the  Way,  the  Truth,  and  the  Life.' 
He  exclaimed,  *  Jesu  Opara  Tshuku,  Zim  uzo  oma,  i.e., 
*  Jesus,  Son  of  God,  show  me  the  good  way.'  " 

A  difference  arose  with  the  king  of  Ogidi,  and 
the  missionary  had  to  transfer  his  work  to  the  war 
camp,  and  there  he  preached  the  Gospel  with  great 
effect.  The  Lord's  Prayer,  which  he  had  translated 
into  their  tongue,  made  a  deep  impression  upon  them, 
the  sentence  of  all  others  which  seemed  to  strike 
them  most  being,  "But  deliver  us  from  evil."  As 
Mr.  Taylor  reasoned  with  them  their  faces  assumed  a 
wonderful  change,  and,  from  what  he  gathered,  their 
faith  in  the  false  gods  and  fetishes  was  severely 
shaken.  So  gracious  were  the  signs  of  success  that 
he  writes  with  great  joy  and  earnestness:  "I  am 
thankful  to  say  that  I  begin  to  see  signs  of  the 
remarks  of  the  late   Bishop   Vidal  being    fulfilled  : 


ONITSHA.  105 

that  the  thne  will  come  when  the  Tshuku  (gods)  of 
Aho  and  the  Ibos  in  general  shall  fall  down  before 
the  Gospel,  as  Dagon  fell  before  the  ark.  Their  mul- 
tifarious shrines  shall  give  way  for  the  full  liberation 
and  introduction  of  the  Gosi^el  to  their  forlorn, 
degraded,  long  bewitched,  but  ransomed  people,  to 
lead  them  to  God." 

On  every  ha^nd  he  found  the  people  willing  and 
glad  to  hear  the  Gospel.  On  the  morning  of  Sunday, 
October  25th,  a  service  was  held  in  one  of  the 
enclosed  spaces  near  a  chief's  house,  and  a  large 
crowd  of  natives  listened  with  eagerness  to  the  Word 
of  God.  Mr.  Kadillo,  a  Baptist  interpreter,  trans- 
lated for  Mr.  Taylor,  who,  although  very  weak 
through  an  attack  of  fever,  preached  a  sermon  on 
the  text  from  St.  Luke  :  "If  any  man  will  come 
after  Me,  let  him  deny  himself,  and  take  up  his  cross 
daily  and  follow  Me." 

As  the  weary  missionary  was  going  home  after  the 
service  two  women  came  to  him,  saying,  "  The  word 
is  a  true  word,  we  will  not  be  ashamed  of  Tshuku 
(God) .  You  must  bear  patiently  till  God  shall  turn 
the  whole  of  Onitsha  to  follow  your  religion,  which 
is  far  better  than  all  our  fetish  customs."  What  a 
wonderful  word  of  encouragement  from  these  poor 
natives  ! 

Mr.  Taylor,  in  exchange,  gave  them  also  a  loving 
and  cheering  message  from  his  Master,  and  urged 
them  both  to  follow  the  gracious  Saviour  whose  word 
they  had  heard  that  day.  "  One  of  them  raised  her 
eyes  unto  heaven,"  he  says,  "and  with  uplifted  hands 
heaved  out  this  short  petition,  *  Opara  Tshuku  mere 
ayi  ebere,'  i.e.,  '  Son  of  God,  have  mercy  upon  me  !' 


106  SAMUEL  CROWTHER. 

Christians,  imagine  my  feelings  on  this  occasion. 
Might  not  the  words  of  our  Saviour  be  applied  to 
her,  *  Ought  not  this  woman,  being  a  daughter  of 
Abraham,  whom  Satan  hath  bound  these  many 
years,  be  loosed  from  her  bonds  on  the  Sabbath 
day?'" 

Still  there  was  much  to  shock  and  distress  the 
heart  of  the  Christian  in  the  conduct  of  these  poor 
heathen.  One  day  the  missionary  was  walking  with 
others  towards  the  river,  and  presently  a  crowd 
shouting  and  crying  approached  them,  dragging  a  poor 
young  girl,  tied  hand  and  foot,  with  her  face  on  the 
ground,  to  the  river.  This  was  one  of  the  superstitious 
customs,  for  they  believe  in  making  a  sacrifice  for  their 
sins  by  beating  out  the  life  of  a  fellow-creature  in 
this  manner.  As  she  is  drawn  along,  the  crowd 
cry,  "  Aro  ye,  Aro,  Aro  !  "  i.e.,  "  Wickedness,  wicked- 
ness !  "  and  believe  that  the  iniquities  of  the  people 
are  thus  atoned  for. 

There  is  also  a  horrible  practice  among  the  Onitsha 
people  of  killing  all  children  who  happen  to  be  born 
twins.  This  superstition  is  so  deeply  rooted  that  the 
mother  is  also  degraded  and  cruelly  treated.  One 
such,  a  convert  to  Christianity,  one  night  became  the 
mother  of  two  little  girls,  and  immediately  in  sheer 
terror  she  fled  to  the  bush  for  safety.  Her  friends 
hesitated  about  casting  the  infants  away  to  be  torn 
of  wild  beasts,  as  was  customary,  and  sent  for  Mr. 
Perry,  the  minister.  He  said  at  once,  "  Destroy  them 
not,  for  a  blessing  is  on  them  ;  "  and  in  spite  of  a 
perfect  tumult  of  a  iger,  *'  a  furious  mob  of  five 
hundred  men  armed  to  the  teeth  with  guns,  cutlasses, 
spears,  clubs,  bows  and  arrows,  who  surrounded  the 


ONITSHA.  107 

mission  compound,  demanding  that  the  babes  be  given 
up  to  them,"  the  little  ones  were  safely  conveyed  to 
the  English  ship  Wanderer  on  the  Niger,  and  saved 
from  destruction. 

There  is  a  celebrated  god  called  Tshi,  whose  power 
is  to  preserve  the  people  from  witchcraft,  and  once, 
when  visiting  one  of  the  chiefs,  the  visitors  were  asked 
by  his  wife  to  witness  her  sacrifice  to  this  deity.  A 
goat  was  killed,  and  the  blood  allowed  to  run  into  a 
bowl,  and  then  over  the  slain  victim,  she  said,  "I 
beseech  thee,  my  guide,  make  me  good ;  thou  hast 
life.  I  beseech  thee  to  intercede  with  God  the  Spirit, 
tell  Him  my  heart  is  clean.  I  beseech  thee  to  deliver 
me  from  all  bad  thoughts  in  my  heart ;  drive  out  all 
witchcrafts ;  let  riches  come  to  me.  See  your  sacri- 
ficed goat ;  see  your  kotu-nuts ;  see  your  rum  and 
palm  wine."  She  tried  to  persuade  her  guests  to 
drink  some  of  this  wine,  but  they  refused. 

To  the  great  sorrow  of  Crowther  and  Mr.  Taylor, 
on  the  return  of  the  latter  to  Fernando  Po,  at  the 
end  of  November,  the  sickness  of  Simon  Jonas  in- 
creased, and  at  last  this  useful  helper  in  the  mission 
work  passed  away.  He  was  a  great  loss,  not  only  for 
his  excellent  and  consistent  Christian  character,  but 
because  of  his  ability  in  translating  into  the  language 
of  the  tribes.  On  the  Sunday  after  his  death,  Mr. 
Taylor  records  in  his  diary  the  following  affecting 
incident : 

"This  morning  a  woman  came  into  my  residence 
and  requested  me  to  follow  her,  for  she  wanted  to  see 
me  very  particularly.  I  got  myself  ready  and  went 
with  her.  After  walking  about  two  miles  we  came  to  a 
very  beautiful  sand  beach,  where  to  my  surprise  I 


108 


SAMUEL  CROWTHER. 


found  twenty-four  persons,  well  clad  in  decent  dress, 
being  twenty  women  and  four  men.  One  of  them 
rose  up  and  said,  '  Sir,  we  expressly  sent  for  you  to 
preach  to  us  the  Word  of  God ;  do,  for  we  thirst  to 
hear  God's  living  word ;  please,  sir,  help  us  ! '  I  stood 
under  a  hollow  tree,  and  told  them  I  was  sorry  I  had 
no  book  with  me.  To  my  great  surprise  each  one 
brought  out  a  hymn  book.  I  then  gave  out  that 
beautiful  hymn,  *  Jesus,  where'er  Thy  people  meet ; ' 
and  I  took  one  of  their  Bibles,  and  expounded  the 
words  of  the  Apostle  Paul  from  Acts  xvi.  13 :  *  And 
on  the  Sabbath  we  went  out  of  the  city  by  a  river- 
side, where  prayer  was  wont  to  be  made  ;  and  we  sat 
down,  and  spake  unto  the  women  which  resorted 
thither.'     Thank  God  for  this  opportunity  !  " 


CHAPTER    X. 

THE  Boy  Becomes  the  Bishop. 


•^je- 


"  Word  of  Life,  most  pure  and  strong, 
Lo  !  for  thee  the  nations  long, 
Spread,  till  from  its  dreary  night 
AU  the  world  awakes  to  light. 

"  Up  the  ripening  fields  you  see, 
Mighty  shall  the  harvest  be, 
But  the  reapers  still  are  few. 
Great  the  work  they  have  to  do."--BAHNMAiER. 


►^ 


WE  must  now  pass  more  rapidly  in  review  the 
events  of  the  next  few  years,  in  order  to  bring 
the  narrative  of  Bishop  Crowther's  career  up  to  the 
work  in  our  own  day. 

In  the  closing  months  of  1858  we  find  Crowther 
once  more  starting  from  Onitsha  for  a  canoe  expedi- 
tion up  the  river  ;  and  after  travelling  thus  over  three 
hundred  miles',  he  reached  Eabbah  in  safety,  the  place 
of  his  enforced  stay  after  the  wreck  of  the  Dayspring. 
From  this  point  he  made  his  way  across  country  to 
Ilorin,  the  Haussa  capital  in  his  native  country,  and 
Abeokuta,  the  famous  city  under  the  stone;  and  from 


110  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

thence  he  proceeded  to  the  coast,  arriving  at  Lagos  in 
the  early  part  of  the  year  1859.  The  work,  however, 
was  destined  to  receive  some  opposition ;  and  the  trial 
of  faith  which  meets  all  true  labourers  in  the  vineyard 
of  God  was  to  prove  Crowther  and  his  companions. 

From  Eabbah,  where  he  had  laboured  so  hard  to 
prepare  the  way  for  a  mission  establishment,  there 
came  bad  news  during  that  year.  The  Rainhoiv  passing 
up  the  river  was  informed  by  Dr.  Baikie  that  the  place 
was  no  longer  open  to  Christian  work,  and  as  a  proof 
of  the  hostility  of  the  natives,  the  ship  on  its  return 
journey  was  attacked,  and  two  of  its  crew  lost  their 
lives. 

For  a  time  it  seemed  as  though  the  work  of  toilsome 
years  was  to  be  undone,  and  the  workers,  baffled  at 
every  point,  must  retire  to  the  mouth  of  the  river  to 
await  another  opening.  But  danger  and  disappoint- 
ment brings  a  true  Christian  to  his  knees,  and  so 
feeling  his  utter  helplessness  and  incapacity,  he  is 
strengthened  and  comforted  by  all  the  fulness  of  God. 
He  whose  work  it  is  will  in  due  time,  if  we  faint  not, 
open  a  way  through  which  we  may  go  up  and  possess 
the  land. 

Mr.  Taylor  came  to  England,  and  awakened  a  new 
interest  in  the  Niger  work,  and  returning,  he,  in  con- 
junction with  Crowther,  established  an  important 
mission  at  Akassa,  the  mouth  of  the  Nun  river,  which 
is  the  navigable  entrance  to  the  Niger.  When  the 
gunboat  Espoir  ascended  the  river  to  effect  reprisals 
upon  the  natives  for  their  hostility  to  our  vessels, 
Crowther  was  on  board,  and  was  thus  able  to  visit 
some  of  the  stations,  to  their  great  encouragement 
and  advantage. 


THE   BOY   BECOMES  THE   BISHOP.  Ill 

It  was  just  at  this  time  that  Mr.  Laircl,  to  whose 
energy  and  enterprise  so  much  of  the  Niger  explora- 
tion was  due,  died,  and  as  a  result  his  factories  on  the 
river  were  closed.  This  was  a  great  loss  to  the 
mission,  and  rendered  their  work  increasingly  difficult. 
Still  a  new  hope  dawned  in  the  hearts  of  the  mis- 
sionaries when  the  Investigator,  a  vessel  fully 
equipped  for  exj^loring  the  rivers,  took  Crowther  and 
a  number  of  helpers  on  board  on  its  way.  Once  more 
they  reached  Onitsha,  leaving  Mr.  Taylor  to  resume 
his  old  work.  Here  we  are  told  Crowther  found  no 
less  than  twenty-eight  natives  ready  for  baptism,  and 
the  services  of  the  mission  church  were  attended  by 
a  large  number  of  people. 

Passing  on  to  the  confluence,  he  revisited  his  old 
station  at  Gbebe,  and  to  his  joy  found  that  although 
for  this  long  interval  the  people  had  been  under  the 
care  of  a  single  native  catechist,  the  work  of  the  Lord 
had  prospered,  and  with  a  full  heart  Crowther  baptized 
a  number  of  those  who  had  believed  to  salvation.  He 
tells  us,  "  This  day  at  the  morning  service,  though 
with  fear  and  trembling,  yet  by  faith  in  Christ,  the 
great  Head  of  the  Church,  who  has  commanded,  '  Go 
ye,  therefore,  and  teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in 
the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  tEe 
Holy  Ghost,'  I  took  courage  and  baptized  eight 
adults  and  one  infant  in  our  mud  chapel,  in  the  pre- 
sence of  a  congregation  of  192  persons,  who  all  sat 
still  with  their  mouths  open  in  wonder  and  amaze- 
ment, at  the  initiation  of  some  of  their  friends  and 
companions  into  a  new  religion  by  a  singular  rite,  the 
form  in  the  name  of  the  Trinity  being  translated  into 
Nupe,  and  distinctly  pronounced  as  each  candidate 


112  SAMUEL   CROTVTHEB, 

knelt.  These  nine  persons  are  the  first-fruits  of  the 
Niger  mission.  Is  not  this  a  token  of  the  Lord  to  the 
Society  to  persevere  in  the  arduous  work  to  introduce 
Christianity  among  the  vast  populations  on  the  bank 
of  the  Niger,  and  that  they  shall  reap  in  due  time  if 
they  faint  not  ?  More  so  when  the  few  baptized  per- 
sons represent  several  tribes  of  large  tracts  of  countries 
on  the  banks  of  the  Niger,  Tshadda,  Igara,  Igbira, 
Gbari  Eki,  or  Burnu,  and  even  a  scattered  Yoruba 
was  among  them.  Is  not  this  an  anticipation  of  the 
immense  fields  opened  to  the  Church  to  occupy  for 
Christ  ?  " 

The  sunshine  of  a  great  prosperity  came  upon 
Crowther  and  his  work,  and  with  unremitting  energy 
he  passed  hither  and  thither  along  the  banks  of  the 
Niger,  establishing  at  different  points  fresh  centres 
of  Christian  enlightenment.  Neither  was  he  wanting 
in  helping  these  poor  heathen  to  help  themselves  by 
promoting  commerce;  his  practical  and  business 
abilities  prepared  quite  a  market  for  the  cotton  trade 
in  the  district.  He  was  anxious  to  show  them  that 
the  Christians  came  to  them  with  a  message  of  peace 
and  goodwill,  and  that  the  introduction  of  the  cotton 
manufacture  in  the  mission  premises  was  to  their 
advantage. 

On  one  occasion  king  Masaba,  of  Nupe,  sent  to 
Crowther  messengers,  and  these  he  conducted  round 
his  mission  buildings  at  Gbebe,  showing  them  the 
goods  and  their  preparations  for  shipment  to  the 
white  man's  country.  This  is  the  message  he  sent 
back  to  the  king:  "We  are  Anasera  (Nazarenes) ; 
there  (pointing  to  the  schoolroom)  we  teach  the 
Christian  religion  ;  these  (pointing  to  the  cotton  gins 


114  SAMUEL    CROWTHER. 

are  our  guns;  tins  (pointing  to  the  clean  cotton 
puffing  out  of  them)  is  our  powder,  and  the  cowries 
(the  little  shells  which  are  the  currency  of  the  country), 
which  are  the  proceeds  of  the  operation,  are  the  shots 
which  England,  the  w^armest  friend  of  Africa,  earnestly 
desires  she  should  receive  largely." 

The  spiritual  work  also  made  the  labourer's  heart 
thankful  as  he  saw  these  natives  professing  faith  in 
Christ,  and  in  their  lives  and  death  exhibiting  the 
power  of  the  Gospel.  One  young  female  slave  who 
had  been  ransomed  by  Crowther,  and  had  embraced 
Christianity,  died  happily  in  the  Lord,  and  others 
followed  with  a  like  encouraging  testimony. 

When  the  old  king,  Ama  Abokko,  died,  the  mission 
at  Gbebe  lost  a  good  friend;  and  although  his  last 
words  to  his  sons  were  to  commend  the  w^ork  to  their 
protection,  his  decease  marked  its  termination.  One 
of  those  fierce  tribal  wars  which  are  constantly 
ravaging  the  country  swept  over  Gbebe  two  years 
afterwards,  and  the  town  with  its  mission  premises  was 
utterly  destroyed.  The  Christian  converts  were  scat- 
tered, and  a  new  station  was  as  soon  as  possible  started 
at  Lokoja,  on  the  other  side  of  the  river.  Other  troubles 
fell  upon  the  work.  Idda  had  to  be  given  uj)  through 
the  treacherous  conduct  of  a  chief,  who  made  a 
prisoner  of  Crowther  and  his  son,  the  present  Arch- 
deacon, and  demanded  from  the  English  a  consider- 
able sum  for  their  ransom.  They  were,  however, 
rescued,  but  unhappily  not  without  the  loss  of  a 
valuable  life,  that  of  Mr.  Fell,  the  English  Consul, 
who  was  shot  by  a  poisoned  arrow  and  killed. 

In  the  meantime  the  work  in  Yoruba  was  making 
progi'ess,    and    Crowther    had    translated    into    his 


THE   BOY   BECOMES  THE   BISHOP.  115 

native  tongue  not  only  the  Bible,  but  other  works, 
including  the  Prayer  Book,  and  a  Dictionary  which  will 
be  of  inestimable  service  to  workers  who  shall  follow 
in  the  field ;  others  had  translated  the  Pilgrim's 
Progress  and  the  Pcej)  of  Dag. 

The  ancient  capital  of  the  Yoruba  district  was 
Oyo;  and  here,  in  1851,  Mr,  Townsend  and  his  de- 
voted wife,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Mann,  another  mis- 
sionary, had  an  interview  with  Atiba,  king  of  Yoruba, 
and  in  the  illustration  which  we  give  of  the  scene 
it  will  be  observed  that  a  sacrifice  of  four  human 
beings  took  place  in  honour  of  the  visitors.  These 
Egbas  are  Monotheists,  although  the  Supreme  Being 
is  known  amongst  them  by  a  variety  of  titles,  as 
Olurun,  the  Prince  of  Heaven ;  Eleda,  the  Creator ; 
Alagbura,  the  Powerful  One;  Oludomare,  the  Al- 
mighty ;  Oluwa,  the  Lord ;  and  Elami,  the  Prince 
of  Life.  Their  salutations  are  reverent ;  and  on 
parting  with  anyone  they  say,  "  I  remember  you, 
and  commit  you  to  the  care  of  God."  It  is  common 
amongst  them  to  use  the  native  equivalent  for  *'  God 
bless  you." 

Mr.  Townsend  says  that  these  people  never  worship 
the  stars  or  heavenly  bodies,  and  that  one  day,  point- 
ing to  one  of  their  idols,  he  asked  the  chief,  "  Why 
do  3'ou  worship  that  image  when  you  know  it  was  cut 
out  of  a  piece  of  wood  by  a  man  ?  "  *'  I  know  it  was 
carved  by  a  man.  I  don't  worship  it."  "But  I  have 
seen  you  worship  it."  *'  I  don't  worship  the  image, 
but  the  spu'it  that  dwells  in  it."  "  What  does  that 
spmt  do  for  you  ?  "  *'  He  is  my  messenger  to  carry 
my  petitions  to  God." 

Sacrifices  sometimes  of  human  beings  are  made  to 


116  SAMUEL   CROWTFTER. 

this  idol,  Shango.  The  illustration  given  on  page  99, 
of  the  sacrifice  of  a  sheep  is  singular,  as  after  getting 
it  to  eat  some  plumtree  leaves  as  a  mark  of  accep- 
tation, the  animal  is  slain,  and  its  blood  scattered 
over  the  idol;  also  the  brows  of  those  performing 
this  worship  are  marked  therewith. 

We  must  just  add  another  instance  to  show  the 
belief  of  these  people  in  Divine  Providence.  There 
had  been  a  fight  between  the  warriors  of  Abeokuta 
and  Ijaye  and  those  of  Ibadan,  and  the  priest  thus 
put  it,  the  farmer,  of  course,  referring  to  the  defeated 
party : — 

"A  farmer  went  to  clear  a  piece  of  ground  on  his 
farm  for  cultivation.  Addressing  a  large  tree  that 
stood  in  his  way,  he  said,  *  To-morrow  I  will  cut  you 
down.'  The  tree,  full  of  trouble,  told  God  of  it, 
saying,  '  The  farmer  says  he  will  cut  me  down  to- 
morrow.' To  which  God  replied,  '  Be  contented,  he 
cannot.'  The  farmer  returning  home  met  with  an 
accident,  and  was  unable  to  resume  his  work  for  a 
long  time.  Then  he  repeated  his  threat,  but  with 
the  same  result ;  and  now  he  was  laid  aside  by  a  long 
illness.  The  third  time  he  cleared  his  farm,  and 
again  addressed  the  tree,  '  Tree,  to-morrow,  God 
willing,  I  will  cut  you  down.'  The  tree,  again  ad- 
dressing God,  repeated  the  farmer's  words,  to  which 
God  answered,  '  Did  he  say  so  ?  then  he  will  do  it.' 
On  the  morrow  the  tree  was  cut  down."  The  point  is 
that  as  long  as  the  farmer  trusted  in  his  own  strength 
he  failed,  but  when  he  said,  "I  will.  God  willing,"  he 
succeeded. 

We  have  now  reached  a  point  when  we  find 
Crowther  once  more  in  England.     He  had  come  to 


THE   BOY   BECOMES  THE   BISHOP.  117 

plead  his  own  cause  on  the  platform  of  our  English 
May  Meetings,  and  was  the  principal  attraction  at 
the  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society 
at  Exeter  Hall.  The  excited  interest  of  that  im- 
mense gathering  was  in  a  great  part  due  to  the  fact 
that  a  negro,  one  of  the  very  race  from  the  distant 
African  regions,  was  to  tell  his  own  tale.  And  a  plain 
straightforward  and  effective  speech  it  was.  It  was 
a  remarkable  evidence  of  the  power  of  Christianity, 
a  unique  blending  of  the  pleader  and  the  example  of 
the  good  of  the  cause  at  the  same  time.  In  the 
course  of  his  remarks  he  said  : — 

"On  one  occasion  I  was  travelling  with  the  late 
lamented  Bishop  Weeks,  then  a  simple  minister. 
I  went  with  him  on  a  visit  to  a  friend  in  the  country. 
While  I  was  in  the  railway  carriage  with  him,  a 
gentleman  attacked  him,  knowing  that  he  was  a 
friend  of  missions.  The  gentleman  said,  'What 
are  the  missionaries  doing  abroad  ?  We  don't  know 
anything  about  their  movements.  We  pay  them  well, 
but  we  don't  hear  anything  about  them.  I  suppose  they 
are  sitting  down  quietly  and  making  themselves  com- 
fortable.' Mr.  Weeks  did  not  say  anything  in  reply, 
I  having  made  a  sign  to  him  not  to  do  so.  After  the 
gentleman  had  exhausted  what  he  had  to  say,  I  said 
to  him,  '  Well,  sir,  I  beg  to  present  myself  to  you  as 
a  result  of  the  labours  of  the  missionaries  which  you 
have  just  been  depreciating ; '  and  I  pointed  to  Mr. 
Weeks  as  the  means  of  my  having  become  a  Christian, 
and  having  been  brought  to  this  country  as  a 
Christian  minister.  The  gentleman  was  so  startled 
that  he  had  nothing  more  to  say  in  the  way  of 
objection,  and  the   subsequent  conversation  between 


118  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

him  and  Mr.  Weeks  turned  upon  missionary  topics. 
On  the  banks  of  the  Niger,  where  we  have  not  been 
privileged  to  be  ushered  in  by  European  missionaries, 
native  teachers  have  maintained  their  footing  among 
their  own  people.  Their  countrymen  look  upon  them 
as  very  much  superior  to  themselves  in  knowledge 
and  in  every  other  respect,  and  listen  to  them  with 
very  great  attention  when  they  preach  to  them  the 
Gospel  of  our  salvation." 

On  St.  Peter's  Day,  1864,  perhaps  the  most  import- 
ant event  of  his  life  took  place,  when  in  Canterbury 
Cathedral  Samuel  Crowther  was  consecrated  as  the 
first  Bishop  of  the  Niger.  The  scene  was  a  memor- 
able one,  and  is  not  likely  to  be  forgotten  by  those 
who  stood  in  the  vast  crowd  which  filled  every  aisle 
of  the  grand  cathedral  that  day.  The  license  of 
Her  Majesty  had  been  duly  promulgated  in  these 
terms : — 

"  We  do  by  this  our  license  under  our  royal  signet 
and  sign  manual  authorise  and  empower  you  the  said 
Eeverend  Samuel  Adjai  Crowther  to  be  Bishop  of  the 
United  Church  of  England  and  Ireland  in  the  said 
countries  in  Western  Africa  beyond  the  limits  of  our 
dominions." 

When  the  service  began  it  was  an  impressive  sight 
to  see  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  attended  by  live 
other  Bishops,  enter  the  choir ;  and  following  them  the 
three  Bishops  to  receive  the  solemn  rite  of  consecration, 
viz  :  the  new  Bishop  of  Peterborough,  the  new  Bishop 
of  Tasmania,  and  the  new  Bishop  of  the  Niger. 
Eemembering,  as  doubtless  many  did,  the  touching 
history  of  his  childhood  and  early  struggles  as  a  slave, 
not  a  few  in  that  vf-at  building  were  moved  to  tears  as 


THE   BOY   BECOMES  THE   BISHOP. 


119 


the  African  clergyman  humbly  knelt  in  God's  glorious 
house  to  receive  the  seals  of  the  high  oftice  of  Shepherd 


THE    FIELD    OF    THE    YORUBA    AND    NIGER    MISSIONS. 

in  His  earthly  fold.     Most  of  all  must  one  heart  have 
betn  affected,  that  of  Mrs.  Weeks,  the  missionary's 


120  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

wife,  at  whose  knee  he  received  his  first  lessons  in  the 
way  of  the  Lord. 

No  one  could  fail  to  see  how  God  had  called  forth 
this  native  from  the  degradation  of  a  boyhood  of 
slavery,  to  become  a  chosen  vessel  in  His  service.  He 
had  proved  himself  as  a  true-hearted  standard-bearer 
of  the  Cross  in  much  toil  and  patient  endurance,  and 
it  was  meet  that  to  him  should  be  committed  the 
spiritual  interests  of  the  district  in  which  he  had 
spent  hitherto  nearly  the  whole  of  his  life  since  he 
became  a  Christian. 

On  his  immediate  return  to  the  Niger,  the  work 
began  afresh  with  renewed  energy.  Special  attention 
was  given  to  the  Delta,  for  King  Pepple,  having  been 
on  a  visit  to  England,  made  an  application  to  the 
Bishop  of  London  to  send  missionaries  to  his 
dominions.  A  more  degraded  district  was  not  to  be 
found  in  Africa.  Although  its  trade  was  very  flou- 
rishing, being  one  of  the  chief  markets  for  palm  oil, 
the  people  were  sunk  in  the  lowest  vices  and 
superstitions.  At  the  time  of  which  we  speak,  when 
Bishop  Crowther  was  forming  the  Christian  Church 
there,  the  shocking  practice  of  cannibaHsm  was  not  yet 
wholly  given  up,  and  the  people  were  entirely  under 
the  power  of  the  priests  of  the  Juju  or  fetish  worship. 
As  in  Dahomey,  no  regard  for  human  life  seems  to 
have  existed;  men  were  sacrificed  at  every  high 
festival,  and  at  the  burial  of  any  of  their  chief  men'a 
number  of  poor  creatures  would  be  slaughtered.  The 
ghastly  spectacle  of  their  temple,  paved  and  elaborately 
decorated  with  human  bones,  showed  the  ferocity  of 
their  religion. 

In  the  midst  of  this  awful  darkness  came  Bishop 


THE   l?OY  BECOMES  THE   BISHOP.  121 

Crowther  and  his  fellow-lielpers,  bearing  the  hght  of 
the  Gospel,  and  iu  due  time  many  beheved  and  were 
saved.  It  was  as  in  the  early  Chm-ch  of  the  first 
centuries,  the  adherents  of  the  new  religion  were 
mostly  slaves,  and  to  escape  their  persecutors  had 
to  meet  for  worship  and  counsel  in  retired  places. 
The  little  Mission  Church  of  St.  Stephen's  was 
opened  on  the  1st  January,  1872,  and  from  time  to 
time  converts  were  baptized,  and  the  little  assembly 
of  believers  increased.  But  the  superstition  of  the 
priests  and  their  votaries  constantly  made  the  little 
church  the  object  of  their  persecuting  hatred.  Again 
and  again  its  members  were  compelled  to  meet  in  the 
secrecy  of  the  forest  for  prayer.  The  hour  of  martyr- 
dom had  come  ;  some  few  could  not  stand  the  test, 
but  very  many  gloriously  held  faithful  to  their  Lord. 
One  instance  of  this  is  the  case  of  Isiah  Bara  and 
Jonathan  Apiafe,  who  were  important  persons  in 
their  country  before  they  embraced  Christianity. 
From  that  moment,  however,  they  were  bitterly  per- 
secuted, and  finally,  for  the  crime  of  carrying  the 
body  of  a  poor  Christian  slave  to  burial,  they  were 
publicly  impeached  by  the  Juju  priests.  Offered  meat 
sacrificed  to  idols,  they  preferred  death  to  such  dis- 
honour of  their  Lord.  Then  they  were  bound  with 
chains,  and  put  in  a  shed  in  the  bush  to  die  of  star- 
vation ;  but  in  secret  some  of  their  brethren  conveyed 
to  them  a  little  food  at  the  risk  of  their  own  lives. 
When  tempted,  first  by  offers  of  honourable  and 
influential  positions  among  the  chiefs,  and  then  by 
threats  of  horrible  punishment,  their  replies  are 
among  the  brave  words  of  Christ's  witnesses  well 
worth  recording :  "  I  have  made  up  my  mind,"  said 


122  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

one  of  them,  "  God  helping  me,  to  be  in  chains,  if  it 
so  please  the  Lord,  till  the  coming  of  the  judgment 
day  ;  "  and  said  the  other,  fired  with  a  like  heroism, 
*'  You  know  I  never  refused  to  perform  my  duty ;  but 
as  for  turning  back  to  heathen  worship,  that  is  out 
of  my  power,  for  Jesus  has  taken  charge  of  my  heart, 
and  x>adlocked  it,  and  the  key  is  ivith  Him."  For 
twelve  months  these  faithful  ones  endured  this  pain- 
ful bondage,  until  relieved  at  last  by  the  urgent 
appeal  of  some  English  traders  ;  and  they  looked,  on 
emerging  out  of  their  captivity,  more  like  wasted 
skeletons  than  men. 

Under  such  circumstances  Bishop  Crowther  and 
his  son.  Archdeacon  Dandeson  Crowther,  appealed  to 
the  Christians  everywhere  to  aid  the  suffering  mission 
with  their  prayers,  and  from  all  parts  of  the  world 
letters  of  sympathy  reached  them,  and  in  Tennyson's 
figure  we  may  say,  the  golden  chains  of  prevalent 
prayers  bound  once  more  the  round  world  about  the 
feet  of  God.  A  special  prayer-meeting  was  held,  too, 
at  the  Delta ;  and,  after  it,  the  Archdeacon  hastened 
to  the  chiefs  to  ask  them  to  withdraw  the  persecuting 
hand  against  the  Christians. 

Three  years  afterwards  the  wife  of  a  chief  who 
called  himself  Captain  Hart,  died.  She  had  been  the 
very  Jezebel  of  the  persecution,  and  had  urged  her 
husband  to  kill  many  Christians.  Vainly  did  Crowther 
seek  access  to  her  on  her  death-bed,  the  priests,  to 
whom  she  had  always  given  largely  of  money  and 
presents,  prevented  this.  "When  she  had  breathed 
her  last,  the  chief,  her  husband,  was  inconsolable, 
and  was  grieved  to  think  that  his  Juju  idol  had  failed 
to  save  her.     Crowther  found  him,  and  tried  to  com- 


THE   BOY   BECOJIES  THE   BISIJOP.  123 

fort  the  broken-hearted  man.  He  says,  "  After 
expressmg  our  sympathy,  I  added  that  all  the  words 
of  comfort  we  can  tell  him  will  fail  to  heal  the  sore 
in  his  heart;  but  we  who  are  believers  in  Jesus 
Christ  have  a  '  balm '  which  heals  such  wounds ;  there 
is  a  Physician,  above  every  earthly  physician,  who 
administers  it  into  our  hearts,  and  a  change  takes 
place  for  good.  Should  he  like  us  to  tell  him  of  that 
balm  for  his  broken  heart?"  He  answered,  "Yes, 
tell  me,  and  I  will  listen  to  you."  After  reading  from 
the  book  of  Samuel,  of  the  punishment  of  David's 
sin,  Mr.  Crowther  tells  us  he  "  turned  to  Psalm  li., 
and  carefully  read  the  whole  to  him,  and  concluded 
by  pointing  him  to  Jesus  Christ,  who  has  shed  His 
blood  for  us  all,  for  him  (the  chief),  for  me,  for  every 
man,  and  he  that  believeth  in  His  name  shall  be 
saved.  I  closed  my  Bible,  he  sighed  and  said,  '  God's 
word  is  true  and  is  good.  Come  at  another  time,  and 
tell  me  more.'  " 

The  death  of  his  wife,  the  failure  of  his  gods  and 
priests  to  deliver  him  in  his  trouble,  and,  most  of  all, 
the  good  words  of  the  Lord,  had  such  an  effect  on  the 
chief  that  some  time  afterwards,  when,  in  his  turn, 
he  waited  death,  a  striking  scene  took  place.  He 
renounced  his  faith  in  his  idols  in  the  most  distinct 
manner,  ordering  them  to  be  thrown  into  the  river. 
This  was  done  on  the  day  of  his  funeral,  and  the 
people  in  a  great  fury  wreaked  their  vengeance  on  the 
luckless  jujus,  dashing  them  into  the  river  and  break- 
ing them  up  into  fragments.  Thus  this  Ahab  died, 
and  his  household  gods  were  scattered  abroad. 

The  most  popular  of  the  gods  of  Yoruba  is  Ifa, 
and  a  very  interesting  account  is  given  by  the  Picv. 


124  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

James  Johnson,  the  native  African  missionary,  of 
the  conversion  of  one  of  its  priests  or  medicine 
men.  The  man  was  growing  into  old  age  when  he 
appeared  before  the  Christian  teacher  as  a  seeker 
after  truth.  He  had  been  for  years  in  the  habit  of 
using  his  idol  Ifa  as  a  charm  against  the  diseases 
of  the  people,  but  he  himself  had  a  painful  malady 
which  his  idolatrous  offices  failed  to  cure.  It  so 
happened,  however,  that  Jonah  Shekere,  who  was  a 
communicant  of  the  Ake  congregation,  met  him  one 
day,  and  told  the  disconsolate  Babalawo  Dosimu  that 
prayer  to  God  through  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  would 
be  more  likely  to  cure  him  than  all  his  charms  and 
divinations.  By  appointment  they  met,  and  these  two 
natives  knelt  together  to  ask  the  Great  Physician  if  it 
was  His  will  to  take  away  the  affliction  from  which 
Dosimu  was  suffering.  God  was  not  inattentive  to 
their  cry,  and  soon  afterwards  the  sickness  abated, 
and  the  poor  repentant  heathen  found  that  rest  and 
sleep,  which  for  so  long  a  time  had  forsaken  him. 

His  Christian  friend  read  to  him  the  story  of  Jonah, 
and  this  greatly  impressed  him ;  and,  although  at 
such  an  advanced  age,  he  begged  to  be  instructed  how 
to  read,  that  he  might  know  for  himself  more  of  the 
wonderful  teaching  of  the  Word  of  God.  He  renounced 
his  idolatry,  and  brought  to  the  missionary  his  Ifa  or 
idol,  saying,  "I  cannot  tell  how  much  I  have  spent 
in  vain  upon  this  useless  thing!  I  sought  recovery 
from  it  in  illness,  and  it  promised  it ;  but  its  promises 
and  assurances  have  not  been  fulfilled.  Prayer  to 
God  has  been  of  real  help  to  me.  I  renounce  Ifa,  and 
will  follow  Christianity,  that  the  Lord  may  give  me 
perfect  recovery." 


THE   BOY   BECOMES   THE    BISHOP.  125 

As  the  light  slowly  dawned  upon  his  benighted 
spirit,  he  spoke  in  a  manner  of  his  former  worship, 
which  is  not  unusual  with  these  heathen  priests  after 
their  conversion,  "  Such  answers  to  prayers,"  said 
he,  "  I  have  found  to  be  not  answers  from  Ifa,  who  I 
had  prayed  to,  but  from  God  Himself,  whom  I 
ignorantly  addressed  as  the  holy,  sinless,  and  good 
One,  when  I  addressed  Ifa  thus,  and  was  pleased  to 
apply  to  Himself  the  prayers  and  addresses  offered  in 
simple  faith  though  in  ignorance  to  a  thing  that  could 
not  helj)." 

Mr.  Johnson,  the  missionary,  thus  concludes  his 
sketch  of  this  striking  change  of  heart  and  life. 
"Dosimu  attributes  his  conversion  entirely  to  God. 
*  What  else,'  he  says,  '  could  have  brought  me  ?  '  His 
chief  anxiety  is  to  be  baptized,  '  pinodu,'  as  he  calls  it. 
Pinodu  is  an  abbreviation  of,  '  Pa-ina-Odu,'  to  kill,  or 
put  out  the  fire  of  Odu.  Odu  is  a  companion  of  Ifa, 
and  is  represented  by  charcoal,  powdered  camwood 
mixed  with  water  and  mud.  He  is  the  god  who 
afflicts  mankind  with  sickness  and  other  troubles,  and 
is  said  to  be  always  in  wrath  against  them.  This 
wrath  is  *  ina '  fire.  To  put  out  this  fire  is  to  pro- 
pitiate him,  remove  his  wrath,  and  secure  his  favour, 
and  exemptions  from  his  inflictions.  Propitiation  is 
made  in  a  priest's  house  with  the  blood  of  a  goat  or 
sheep,  and  fowls  slain  at  night  at  the  time  of  offering. 
When  Dosimu  says  he  wants  to  'pinodu,'  he  means 
to  dedicate  himself  to  God  in  baptism." 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Bonny  a  Bethel. 
— ^^ — 


"  0  come  thou  radiaut  Morning  Star, 
Again  on  human  darkness  shine  ; 
Ari.-;e,  resplendent  from  afar, 
Assert  Thy  roj-alty  divine  : 
Thy  sway  o'er  all  the  earth  maintain, 
And  now  begin  Thy  glorious  reign." — Anon. 


■■^^ 


AFTER  the  passing  away  of  Captain  Hart  and  his  per- 
secuting wife,  there  came  to  the  infant  church  at 
Bonny  another  season  of  peace  and  prosperity.  The 
native  schoolmaster  sent  to  Bishop  Crowther  a  joyful 
report,  thanking  God  that  "Bonny  has  become  a 
Bethel."  The  destruction  of  Captain  Hart's  idols 
made  a  salutary  impression  upon  the  minds  of  his 
friends  and  neighbours.  "His  household  —  men, 
women,  and  children — came  with  great  joy  to  the 
house  of  God." 

While  in  times  past  the  church  had  been  harassed 
by  the  animosity  of  such  a  Jezebel  as  the  late  chief's 
wife  had  proved  to  be,  it  was  now  comforted  by  a 
woma,n  of  considerable  position  and  influence  in  the 


EONNV   A    TETHEL.  127 

place,  who,  receiving  the  Gospel  in  her  heart,  lost  no 
time  in  helping  the  good  work  with  all  her  power. 
In  her  house,  every  morning  and  evening,  a  large 
concourse  of  people,  chiefly  of  her  own  establishment, 
met  for  family  prayer.  So  greatly  did  the  mission 
extend  that  another  church  was  built,  and  these  were 
both  crowded,  at  every  service,  by  people  thirsting  for 
the  "Word  of  God. 

This  important  station  was  placed  under  the  care  of 
Bishop  Crowther's  son,  the  Archdeacon,  and  he 
gathered  the  chiefs  together  and  endeavoured  to 
persuade  them  to  exercise  at  any  rate  toleration  to- 
wards the  mission.  An  event,  however,  of  consider- 
able importance  occurred  about  this  time. 

The  titular  king  of  Bonny,  George  Pepple,  had  gone 
to  England  for  his  health  ;  and  during  his  stay  on  our 
shores  had  been  everywhere  received  with  respect  and 
enthusiasm.  He  made  friends  with  the  Lord  Mayor 
of  London,  was  even  introduced  to  the  Prince  of 
Wales,  and  gave  several  addresses  uj^on  the  subject  of 
his  country's  welfare,  and  the  pleasure  he  felt  at  being 
so  well  received.  The  most  important  feature  of  his 
visit,  however,  was  the  interest  evinced  by  all  with 
whom  he  came  in  contact  in  the  mission  work  at 
Bonny,  and  he  was  not  slow  to  show  his  earnest 
appreciation  of  its  value  and  success.  He  must  have 
felt  some  twinges  of  conscience  when  he  remembered 
the  persecutions  the  Christians  had  been  subjected 
to,  and  which  no  doubt  he  might  have  repressed 
had  he  not  stood  in  such  fear  of  his  chiefs.  But  now 
that  with  renewed  health  and  so  many  pleasant 
recollections  he  was  about  to  return  to  his  native  land, 
he  determined  to  take  up  a  definite  position  as  the 


128  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

protector  of,  and  sympathiser  with,  the  work  of  Chris- 
tianity in  his  kingdom.  So  this  royal  convert  sent  tiie 
following  letter  in  advance  to  Archdeacon  Crowther, 
announcing  his  return : 

"  Forgive  me  for  not  writing  you  prior  to  this.  I 
will  make  it  all  right  when  I  meet  you  in  Bonny. 
People  have  made  inquiries  about  you,  and  I  have 
given  them  the  best  possible  account.  I  shall  be 
coming  by  next  steamer,  if  it  please  God  to  allow  me, 
and  I  wish  you  to  get  ready  for  a  special  service  at  the 
Mission  church  in  Bonny.  From  the  steamer  (d.v.) 
I  will  proceed  to  the  church  to  offer  my  thanksgiving 
to  God." 

In  due  time  he  arrived ;  and  at  the  service  which  ho 
attended,  a  special  prayer  of  thanksgiving  to  God  was 
read,  and  an  earnest  and  impressive  discourse  preached 
by  Archdeacon  Crowther  on  the  text  from  the  Psalms  : 
"Come  and  hear,  all  ye  that  fear  God,  and  I  will 
declare  what  He  hath  done  for  my  soul." 

The  people,  greatly  encouraged  by  this  action  of 
their  king,  flocked  to  the  mission,  and  worked  with  a 
will  to  erect  fresh  premises.  In  its  after  experiences, 
Bonny  became  one  of  the  most  encouraging  stations 
m  the  district  of  the  Lower  Niger.  On  the  pastoral 
visit  of  Bishop  Crowther,  a  service  was  held  in  St. 
Stephen's  Church,  which,  as  described  by  his  son  in 
one  of  his  reports  to  the  parent  Society,  can  only 
make  the  reader  exclaim,  "  What  hath  God  wrought  ?" 

The  Formosa  had  steamed  from  Brass,  and  had  the 
Bishop  on  board.  Then  we  are  told,  "  Notice  had 
already  been  given  at  the  church  the  last  Sunday  of 
the  expected  arrival  of  the  Bishop,  who  w^ould  preach, 
and  a  public  examination  of  the  children  at  school 


BONNY   A   BETHEL. 


129 


was  to  take  place  afterwards.  The  following  Sunday 
(24th)  came,  the  morning  opened  gloomily,  but  the 
feathered  songsters  warbled  out  their  praises  to  God 
so  cheerfully  that  morning,  as  if  mdicative  of  the 
many  voices  which  would  be. raised  in  jubilant  praises 
to  God  in  His  once  neglected  sanctuary. 


"The  tones  of  the  church-going  bell  announced 
the  approach  of  the  hour  of  service,  and  hardly  had 
the  first  bell  stopped  ringing  when  I  saw  on  my  way 
to  St.  Clement's,  by  the  beach  path  from  Bonny, 
scores  of  people  hastening  to  St.  Stephen's  to  secure 
seats  before  the  sound  of  the  second  bell.  I  returned 
from  St.  Clement's,  and  found  the  Bishop  preaching. 


130  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

Turning  to  the  congregation,  a  sight  never  witnessed 
before  at  Bonny  met  my  eyes.  The  church  was 
densely  crowded — seats  provided,  and  extra  ones, 
closely  packed  to  the  pulpit  and  reading-desk,  were 
filled.  The  pews  filled,  the  gallery  well  occupied  by 
the  children,  and  the  steps  to  the  gallery  lined  with 
people.  King  George  was  present  with  his  sister. 
Chief  Fine  Country,  and  other  minor  ones  were  there 
also,  with  the  rich  woman  already  spoken  of,  who, 
though  ill  during  the  week,  yet  was  present  at  church. 
No  less  than  503  persons  were  attentively  listening  to 
the  sermon,  the  Bishop  telling  them  of  the  wonderful 
works  of  God  among  the  people  :a  the  interior  coun- 
tries of  the  Eiver  Niger. 

"  At  the  mention  by  the  Bishop  of  such  names  as 
Mkpo,  Umu-oji,  Nknere  nsube,  Aron,  Elugu,  etc. — that 
the  people  of  these  places  are  sending  messages  to  the 
mission  at  Onitsha,  and  that  our  agents  are  now 
travelling  thither  occasionally — one  could  notice  the 
smiles  and  nods  of  approval  from  these  poor  listeners, 
many  of  whom  had  been  caught  and  sold  from  the 
towns  mentioned,  and  hence  the  joy  to  know  that  the 
Gospel  will  some  day  reach  their  own  country. 

"  In  the  afternoon  the  Bishop  again  preached  ;  and 
though  the  tide  was  high,  above  knee-deep  over  the 
beach  path,  yet  there  were  419  persons  present." 

One  day  two  young  converts  appeared  before  Bishop 
Crowther  at  the  mission -house  for  the  purpose  of 
purchasing  some  religious  books  in  their  language. 
In  answer  to  the  inquiry,  "From  where  do  you  come?" 
they  stated  their  place  of  abode  was  "the  Land  of 
Israel."  In  further  explanation  of  this  strange  name, 
they  told  the  Bishop,  "  You  do  not  know  what  changes 


BONNY   A  BETHEL.  131 

are  taking  place  at  Boimy ;  yonder  village  Ayambo, 
is  named  the  Land  of  Israel,  because  no  idol  is  to  be 
found  in  it.  Though  you  may  walk  through  the 
village,  you  will  not  find  a  single  idol  in  it  as  an  object 
of  worship.  All  have  been  cleared  out,  and  some 
delivered  to  the  Archdeacon.  So  it  is  free  from 
idolatrous  worship ;  and  if  anyone  who  professes  the 
Christian  religion  is  not  comfortable  at  Bonny  town, 
he  is  invited  to  this  village,  named  the  Land  of 
Israel." 

The  influence  of  the  Christian  religion  was  every- 
where making  way,  and  the  good  tidings  of  salvation 
were  being  carried  up  the  country.  About  thirty  miles 
from  Bonny  is  the  town  of  Okrika,  where  there  is  an 
important  market.  Here  people,  who  had  been  to 
Bonny,  carried  the  news  of  what  God  was  doing 
amongst  the  people  there,  and  the  chiefs  and  natives 
of  Okrika,  although  they  had  never  seen  a  Christian 
teacher,  built  for  themselves  a  church,  with  a  galva- 
nized iron  roof,  which  would  hold  at  least  three 
hundred  worshippers,  and  got  a  schoolboy  from  Brass 
to  come  and  read  the  Church  Service  to  them.  They 
sent  a  pressing  invitation  to  Bishop  Crowther  to  come 
and  visit  them.  His  son,  the  Archdeacon,  however, 
came  in  his  place,  and  was  received  with  enthusiasm, 
and  preached  to  them  in  the  Ibo  language.  A  few 
days  after  he  was  shown  over  the  town,  and  having 
brought  a  brick-mould  from  Bonny  he  got  some  clay, 
and  explained  to  them  the  process  of  making  bricks. 

The  results  of  his  discourse  on  the  choice  between 
Elijah's  God  and  Baal  was  soon  seen.  "  A  chief 
named  Somaire,  who  had  been  hesitating,  and  happily 
was  ?t  church,  came  after  service  and  shook  my  hands, 


132  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

and  said,  '  Uka  ogala  td,'  *  palaver  set  to-day.'  I 
asked  him,  How  ?  He  answered,  '  You  will  know 
to-morrow.' 

**  On  Monday  morning  lie  came  m  a  canoe  contain- 
ing a  large  and  small  box  full  of  idols  and  charms, 
four  other  chiefs  who  are  church  adherents  were  with 
me.  "We  all  stood  by  the  wharf,  and  there  he  told  me 
that  he  had  decided  to  follow  Christ,  to  throw  away 
his  jujus,  and  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  such 
folly.  I  answered,  '  Good,  may  God  strengthen  your 
heart.' "  But  in  course  of  time,  the  opposition  and 
intrigue  of  the  chiefs,  who  disliked  the  support  which 
King  George  Pepple  afforded  Christianity,  caused 
serious  trouble  once  more  in  Bonny. 

In  1883  a  letter  of  complaint  against  the  Mission 
was  signed  by  a  majority  of  the  chiefs,  and  shortly 
afterwards  this  was  followed  up  by  open  revolt,  and 
the  king  was  dethroned  and  exiled.  The  churches 
were  ordered  to  be  shut  up  and  burned  down,  and  the 
severest  punishment  was  meted  out  to  all  those  who 
would  no  longer  sacrifice  to  the  jujus  or  idols. 

Such  a  persecution  soon  displayed  the  martyr 
heroism  of  the  Christians  of  Bonny.  Six  women 
who  would  not  recant,  were  put  into  a  canoe  and  left 
helpless  in  the  middle  of  the  river,  and  several  others 
were  banished  or  murdered.  Archdeacon  Crowther 
was  warned  off  from  Okrika  under  pretence  of  a 
coming  war,  and  it  seemed  for  the  time  as  though 
Satan  had  the  work  at  Bonny  helpless  in  his  hands. 
But  with  deepest  darkness  the  star  of  dawn  appeared, 
and  suddenly,  in  answer  to  many  prayers,  relief  came. 
Her  Majesty's  Consul,  E.  H.  Hewitt,  Esq.,  arrived  at 
Bonny  in  August,    1884,  with  a   commercial   treaty 


BONNY   A   BETHEL.  133 

signed  by  the  chiefs  of  the  oil  rivers  in  the  Gulf  of 
Biafra,  and  in  this  was  a  clause  giving  absolute  free- 
dom to  missionaries  to  establish  stations  free  from 
molestation.  This  was  signed  by  the  rebellious  chiefs 
of  Bonny;  and  afterwards,  at  the  suggestion  of  the 
English  representative,  a  council  of  chiefs  was  estab- 
lished, which  led  to  the  unanimous  reinstatement  of 
King  George  Pepple  as  their  rightful  ruler. 

The  most  important  clause  in  the  constitutional 
memorandum,  drawn  up  and  signed  by  the  chiefs  on 
the  accession  of  their  king,  was  that  he  should  be 
"  exempted  from  taking  part  personally  in  any 
ceremony  that  may  be  contrary  to  his  religion." 
Thus  there  was  peace  once  more  in  Bonny,  and  the 
kingdom  of  Christ  continues  to  extend  its  gracious 
power  among  the  people. 

The  kingdom  of  Brass  is  one  of  the  outlets  of  the 
Niger,  and  it  was  in  1867  that  Bishop  Crowther  first 
met  with  its  king,  Ockiya,  on  the  river  Nun.  He  was 
at  once  favourably  disposed  to  Christianity,  and 
begged  for  ministers  and  teachers  to  be  sent  to  Brass 
to  give  the  same  blessings  to  his  people  as  he  had 
heard  had  come  to  his  neighbours  at  Bonny,  further 
up  the  stream.  Here,  then,  Bishop  Crowther  laboured 
hard,  and  as  a  result  many  were  added  to  the  Church  ; 
and  so  prosperously  did  Christianity  win  its  way 
among  the  people  that  the  Juju  priests,  like  those  of 
Ephesus,  soon  began  to  realise  that  their  gains  w^ere 
gone. 

A  visitation  of  small-pox  in  the  district  gave  them 
the  opportunity  to  blame  the  Christian  teachers  for 
it,  and  forthwith  was  initiated  a  cruel  persecution, 
as   bitter   as  that   which  we   have  seen  was   waged 


134  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

at  Bonny.  Once  more  the  spirit  of  faith  and  trust 
in  God  was  exhibited  amid  trials  hard  to  be  borne. 
One  of  the  converts  was  bound  and  dragged  to 
a  place  where  a  sacrifice  was  being  offered  to  an 
idol,  and  there  his  persecutors  stood  with  a  drawn 
sword  over  him  demanding  his  recantation ;  but  he 
did  not  give  way.  The  king  was  powerless  to  curb 
this  bitter  outburst  of  his  priests  and  chiefs  combined. 
But  after  nine  years  of  labour  and  more  than  one 
outburst  of  fanatical  opposition,  the  Church  at  Brass 
was  well  established. 

When  in  his  latter  daj^s  King  Ockiya  decided  to 
make  a  solemn  and  public  profession  of  Christianitj^ 
he  paid  a  visit  to  Tuwou  village  to  be  baptized.  This 
rite  was  administered  by  Archdeacon  Crowther  on 
the  first  Sunday  in  Advent,  1879,  the  king  receiving 
the  name  of  Josiah  Constantine.  But  for  years,  this 
native  potentate  had  shown  himself  very  friendly  to 
the  introduction  and  progress  of  Christianity  in  his 
dominions.  In  spite  of  his  juju  men,  he  utterly  gave 
up  his  idols,  and  the  principal  of  these  are  to  be  seen 
in  the  Mission  House,  Salisbury  Square.  In  our 
illustration  these  are  as  photographed  at  Lagos  on 
their  way  to  England.  The  two  men,  on  either  side 
of  Bishop  Crowther,  are  Josiah  Bara  and  Jonathan 
Apiafe,  of  whose  brave  and  patient  loyalty  to  their 
Master  we  have  already  had  evidence  in  these  pages. 

King  Ockij^a  was  enabled  by  the  grace  of  God  to 
give  up  polygamy,  a  great  sacrifice  for  a  royal 
African  to  make  ;  and  his  example  as  a  Christian  led 
to  the  conversion  of  several  of  his  heathen  priests, 
who  are  riow  baptised  believers  in  the  Saviour's 
name. 


KI.YG    OCKIYA'S    IDOLS    ON    THEIR    WAY    TO    ENGLAND. 


136  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

Not  only  is  there  a  great  spiritual  quickening 
among  the  people,  but  their  material  prosperity  is 
evident.  When  Bishop  Crowther  visited  one  of  the 
chiefs,  Samuel  Sambo,  he  found  his  house  beautifully 
furnished,  in  the  European  style,  with  every  luxury. 
There  was  one  apartment,  however,  more  neatly 
garnished,  in  which  a  table  and  a  number  of  forms 
were  seen.  This  was  the  praying-room,  where,  twice 
a  day,  the  chief  gathers  his  large  household  for  family 
prayer.  This,  too,  in  a  land  where  at  the  time  of 
Bishop  Crowther's  first  visit,  cannibalism  and  super- 
stitions of  the  vilest  sort  reigned  supreme. 

These  poor  heathen,  so  lately  possessed  with  a 
devilish  worship  and  cruel  practices,  are  now  sitting 
clothed  and  in  their  right  mind,  a  spectacle  of  the 
power  of  the  grace  of  God,  which  is  not  without  its 
lesson  even  to  the  English  people  at  home. 

A  striking  instance  of  the  reality  of  the  change  is 
given  by  Archdeacon  Crowther.  These  are  his  words. 
"A  sailing  vessel  called  the  Guiding  Star,  with  cargo 
consigned  to  one  of  the  firms  trading  on  the  Niger, 
arrived  outside  the  Nun  bar.  No  pilot  was  sent  out 
to  bring  her  in,  so  the  captain  sent  his  boat  with  five 
men  in  to  get  one.  The  boat  capsized  on  the  bar,  one 
of  the  sailors  was  drowned,  and  the  rest  clung  to  the 
boat.  Being  ebb  tide  thej^  were  drifted  away  to  sea, 
past  Brass ;  and  by  the  time  the  flood  set  in  they  were 
away  down  by  an  opening  called  the  Nicholas. 
Cannibals  live  in  this  vicinity,  hence  any  unfortunate 
being  cast  on  Nicholas  shore  must  be  given  up  as  lost. 
These  four  sailors  were  drifted  ashore  there,  and 
picked  up  by  the  natives.  Providentially  for  them  one 
of  the  Brass  church  converts,  called  Carry,  had  some 


BONNY  A  BBTHEL.  137 

trade  business  with  the  Nicholas  people ;  and  his  boys, 
who  also  attend  church,  were  there  at  the  time. 
They  hastened  and  reported  to  their  master  about  the 
sailors.  At  once  Carry  went,  and  after  a  good  long 
talk,  and  showing  them  how  God  had  turned  the 
Brass  people  from  such  shameful  practices  through 
the  Word  of  God,  he  succeeded  in  rescumg  the  sailors, 
and  returned  them  to  their  ship  at  the  Eiver  Nun. 
Carry's  words  when  he  handed  the  sailors  to  the 
captain  of  the  ship  (with  whom  I  had  conversation 
two  days  after)  were  these :  '  Had  I  not  known  God 
and  have  become  a  Christian,  these  poor  men  would 
not  have  been  alive  to-day ;  we  thank  God  ! '  This  is 
a  testimony  from  the  mouth  of  a  captain  of  the  effect 
of  Christianity  and  the  power  of  the  Gospel." 

The  improvement  consequent  on  the  establishment 
of  the  mission  at  Bonny  is  exhibited  everywhere. 
Several  years  ago  Bishop  Crowther,  in  his  report  to 
the  Society,  enlarged  upon  the  gi;p,cious  fruits  of  the 
work  of  God  among  the  people.  There  has  been,  from 
time  immemorial,  a  custom  of  making  sacrificGS 
whenever  an  expedition  of  war  canoes  starts  for  the 
capture  of  slaves  along  the  river.  The  blood  of  the 
animals  thus  sacrificed  was  sprinkled  on  the  canoes 
in  order  to  propitiate  the  god  of  war;  but  in  tins 
report  we  note  that  the  Christian  converts  as  one 
man,  refused  to  carry  out  these  observances.  In 
one  case  a  priest,  who  was  not  a  Christian,  ob- 
jected to  do  what  was  required  on  the  ground  of 
the  useless  folly  of  the  thing;  but  the  head  chief 
failing  to  compel  him,  told  one  of  his  slaves  to  take 
the  whip  and  punish  him.  This,  however,  the  slave 
declined   to    do,   and  again   another   refused.     In   a 


138  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

great  passion  the  headman  took  the  whip  himself, 
and  with  all  his  might  and  main  fell  upon  the  delin- 
quent. After  this,  under  the  impression  that  the 
castigation  he  had  inflicted  had  brought  the  priest 
to  a  more  willing  state  of  mind,  he  again  ordered  him 
to  sacrifice,  but  this  order  he  again  disobeyed. 

A  short  time  after  this  the  priest  was  admitted  as 
a  candidate  for  Christian  baptism.  We  read  in  the 
words  of  Bishop  Crowther  that — 

"Bonny  is  now  wearing  quite  a  new  aspect  in  a 
religious  point  of  view ;  great  changes  are  taking 
place  for  the  better  ;  a  "ad  notwithstanding  the  perse- 
vering efforts  of  some  priests,  backed  by  the  influence 
of  some  leading  chiefs,  heathenism  is  on  the  wane : 
man}'-  sheds,  sacred  to  the  gods,  are  out  of  repair, 
and  the  great  temple  studded  with  human  skulls  is 
going  to  ruin,  with  little  hoi'e  of  its  being  repaired. 
'  Surely  the  wrath  of  man  shall  praise  Thee,  and  the 
remainder  of  wrath  shalt  Thou  restrain.' 

"  Since  the  reaction  took  place  at  the  death  of 
Captain  Hart — that  great  patron  of  idolatrous  system 
and  zealous  supporter  of  this  temple  of  human  skalls 
— the  people  have  learned  more  and  more  to  think  of 
the  vauity  of  idol  worship ;  especially  when  this  great 
patron  of  heathenism  could  not  conceal  the  fact  which 
he  had  at  last  discovered  at  his  dying  hour,  namely, 
that  all  the  gods  are  lies :  and  withal,  solemnly 
warned  all  his  adherents  against  putting  their  trust 
in  them  any  longer,  as  they  were  all  lying  vanities  ; 
and  to  exonerate  himself  as  having  been  the  great 
leader  in  their  worship,  he  seriously  commanded  them 
to  destroy  all  the  images  and  figures  of  the  gods 
which  might  be  found  in  his  quarter  of  the  town 


BONNY  A  BETHEL. 


139 


after  his  death,  that  they  might  not  be  a  snare  and 
an  excuse  to  them  through  his  former  example  in 
worshipping  them  ;  which  order  was  executed  to  the 
very  word.  Thus  God  caused  the  wrath  of  this  man, 
the  great  persecutor,  murderer,  and  banisher  of  the 
Christians,  to  praise  Him,  wliile  He  restrained  the 
remainder  of  wrath  by  his  removal,  that  His  cause 
may  run  and  be  glorified. 

"After  this,  the  threat  from  a  persecuting  influ- 
ential chief,  to  confiscate  the  property  of  a  convert, 
a  rich  W'Oman  of  Bonny  town,  could  not  induce  her 
to  sell  any  article  to  this  chief  on  the  Lord's  Day, 
though  he  had  fully  determined  to  punish  her  for 
thus  refusing  to  grant  his  request,  on  the  ground  of 
religious  persuasion  of  its  being  a  breach  of  God's 
commandment.  This  persecution  w^as  designedly 
planned  to  ensnare  her  ;  but  he  was  disappointed." 


CHAPTER    XII. 

The  Fruitage  of  the  Seed. 


"  As  labourers  in  Tby  vineyard 

Still  faithful  may  we  be, 
Content  to  bear  the  burden 

Of  weary  days  for  Thee. 
We  ask  no  other  -wages, 

When  Thou  shalt  call  us  home, 
But  to  have  shared  the  travail, 

Which  makes  Thy  kingdom  oouie 


-IMONSEL. 


TT  will  be  remembered  that  Bishop  Crowther  is  a 
X  Yoruba  by  birth  and  parentage,  and,  as  might  be 
expected,  there  has  ever  been  in  his  heart  a  special 
yearning  for  the  blessings  of  the  Christian  faith  to  be 
vouchsafed  to  his  own  people  and  land.  His  visit  to 
Abeokuta,  in  1846,  has  already  been  referred  to  in 
these  pages,  when  he  was  accompanied  by  that  noble 
co-worker,  Mr.  Henry  Townsend. 

This  worthy  missionary,  who  has  not  long  gone  to 
his  honoured  rest,  deserves  something  more  than  a 
mere  reference  in  this  record  of  labour  for  Christ  in 
"West  Africa.     He  was  a  native  of  the  cathedral  city 


THE   FRUITAGE   OF  THE   SEED.  141 

of  Devonshire,  unci  his  church  in  Abeokata,  being  the 
gift  of  his  many  earnest  friends,  was  called  the 
Exeter  Church.  He  was  for  six  years  a  schoolmaster 
among  the  freed  slaves  at  Sierra  Leone ;  and  prompted 
by  a  strong  desire  to  explore  the  unknown  regions  of 
the  Yoruba  country,  from  which  many  of  the  escaped 
slaves,  like  the  future  Bishop  of  the  Niger,  had  come, 
he  started  for  Abeokuta,  the  headquarters  of  the 
nation.  He  was  the  first  white  man  to  enter  its  gates, 
and  his  reception  by  Shodeki,  the  king,  was  remark- 
able for  its  cordiality.  The  people  were  as  a  field 
white  unto  the  harvest,  so  great  was  their  desh-e  for 
light  and  truth. 

One  striking  instance  of  this  must  suffice.  Mr. 
Townsend  tells  us  in  his  journal :  "  Towards  evening  a 
large  party  encamped  as  on  the  previous  evening,  and 
after  they  had  eaten  and  made  themselves  comfortable 
I  spoke  to  them.  I  said,  '  Do  you  know  the  true  God 
who  made  us  all,  and  preserves  us  day  by  day?' 
*  No ;  but  we  heard  about  ten  years  ago  that  white 
men  knew  Him,  and  we  have  wished  they  would  come 
and  teach  us.'  *  Do  you  want  to  know  Him  ? '  '  Yes.' 
'  Then  you  must  ask  God  to  send  you  teachers,  and 
He  will  send  them  to  teach  and  lead  you  in  the  right 
way  of  God.'  They  arose,  and  lifting  up  their  hands, 
said,  '  0  God !  send  us  teachers  to  teach  us  about 
Thee.'  What  more  gratifying  circumstance  could 
there  have  been  than  this.  We  were  clearly  called  to 
teach  these  people,  and  the  result  has  further  proved 
it.  Many  who  were  then  in  heathen  darkness  have 
since  received  the  Gospel,  and  have  died  rejoicing  in 
Christ,  trusting  in  Him  alone  for  salvation." 

After  this  visit,  Townsend  returned  to  England,  and 


142  SAMUEL  CROWTHER. 

after  being  fully  ordained,  was  appointed  to  the  mission 
at  Abeokuta,  and  with  Crowther  re-entered  the  city 
in  1846.  From  that  time  it  became  the  field  of  his 
special  labours,  although  Crowther  from  time  to  time 
assisted  in  the  establishment  of  the  native  church. 
The  Egbas,  who  had  securely  entrenched  themselves 
in  this  city,  were  continually  being  attacked  by  their 
old  and  remorseless  foes,  the  Dahomians;  and  although 
in  seven  different  campaigns  the  enemy  ravaged  the 
towns  of  the  country  around,  still  Abeokuta  held  out 
successfully. 

In  these  onslaughts  by  the  king  of  Dahomey,  whose 
cruel  and  bloodthirsty  character  had  began  to  shock 
Europe,  the  Christian  converts  whenever  outside  of 
the  city,  fell  into  his  hands,  and  suffered  many 
trials.  One  of  them,  named  John  Baptist  Dasalu, 
was  made  prisoner  at  the  repulse  of  the  Dahomey 
attack  in  1851,  and  was  for  twelve  nights  fastened  to 
the  ground  with  forked  sticks,  and  then,  after  cruel 
torture,  was  sold  as  a  slave,  and  sent  to  Cuba, 
where,  on  the  application  of  the  English  Government, 
he  was  released.  Another  Christian  Egba  suffered 
martyrdom  by  crucifixion  like  his  Lord ;  and  not  a 
few  others  had  their  portion  of  persecution  and 
captivity. 

In  connection  with  the  atrocities  of  Gezo,  the  king 
of  Dahomey,  a  very  pleasing  incident  is  on  record  of 
the  escape  of  a  little  girl  from  an  awful  death.  It 
was  in  1850,  when  Commander  Forbes  of  H.M.S. 
Bonetta,  was  charged  with  a  special  mission  to  the 
king  to  induce  him  to  put  down  slavery  in  his  king- 
dom. In  this  excellent  quest  he  was  unfortunately 
unsuccessful,    and    dmdng    his    short    stay    in    the 


THE    FllUITAGE   OF   THE   SEED.  143 

country,  at  the  king's  court,  he  saw  with  his  own 
eyes  what  a  number  of  Uves  were  sacrificed  to  please 
the  whim  of  this  inhuman  ruler.  He  was  present  at 
the  custom  known  as  Ek-que-noo-ah-toh-meh,  at 
which  sacrifice  fourteen  men  in  white  dresses,  with 
high  red  night  caps,  bound  and  placed  in  small  canoes 
or  baskets  are  flung  by  the  king's  own  hand  over  a 
precipice,  and  then  decapitated  by  his  servants  below. 

Two  years  before  this  the  king's  army  had  utterly 
destroyed  Okeodan,  a  city  of  the  Yoruba  country, 
in  the  same  manner  as  Crowther's  native  town 
was  destroyed  in  his  childhood.  Twenty  thou- 
sand captives  formed  the  spoil  of  the  conqueror ;  and 
among  them  was  a  little  girl  whose  parents  had  been 
killed,  and  she  was  only  spared  for  a  special  sacri- 
fice. This  child  was  given  by  the  king  to  Commander 
Forbes  to  take  back  as  a  present  to  Queen  Victoria. 
She  was  baptised  by  the  name  of  Sarah  Forbes 
Bonetta,  and  educated  at  the  Church  Missionary 
Female  Institution  at  Sierra  Leone.  After  a  few 
years,  at  the  Queen's  direction,  she  was  brought  to 
England  to  finish  her  education,  and  was  in  the  care 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schon  at  Chatham.  She  soon 
became  greatly  loved,  being  of  a  lively,  quick  dis- 
position, and  was  really  promising  in  her  English, 
French,  and  German  studies. 

It  is  quite  characteristic  of  the  Sovereign  Lady  who 
so  happily  rules  this  realm,  that  this  little  Yoruba 
girl  was  never  lost  sight  of  by  her,  and  at  her  Mid- 
summer and  Christmas  holidays  she  was  always  at 
the  Palace  for  a  few  weeks,  returning  with  some  new 
present  from  the  Queen.  Amongst  others  she  had  a 
gold   watch,  a  turquoise  ring,  and  a  beautiful  gold 


144  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

bracelet  with  the  words  :  "  From  Queen  Victoria  to 
Sarah  Forbes  Bonetta."  She  was  specially  invited 
when  the  Guards  returned  from  the  Crimea ;  and  on 
the  marriage  of  the  Prince  and  Princess  of  Wales  she 
had  a  ticket  to  the  Eoyal  Galleries,  accompanied 
with  suitable  apparel. 

She  married  at  Brighton  a  leading  Lagos  merchant, 
and  became  Mrs.  Davies,  and  her  first  child  was  named 
Victoria.  On  her  return  to  her  native  country  she 
became  most  useful  in  the  mission  work  at  Lagos,  and 
died  full  of  a  joyful  faith  in  her  Eedeemer,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1880.  The  womanly  sympathy  of  Her 
Majesty  is  so  well  known,  that  comment  is  unne- 
cessary ;  but  this  brief  but  interesting  incident  must 
not  close  witliout  an  extract  showing  how  the  Queen 
received  the  news  of  the  death  of  Mrs.  Davies : — 

"In  August  last  (1880)  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nicholson 
were  staying  at  Sandown,  in  the  Isle  of  Wight,  and 
Mrs.  Davies'  daughter,  Victoria  (the  Queen's  godchild), 
who  was  in  England  for  her  education,  was  with  them. 
While  there  the  news  arrived  from  Madeira  that  Mrs. 
Davies  was  seriously  ill,  and  that  she  wished  the 
Queen  to  be  informed.  This  was  done,  and  tlie  fol- 
lowing day  Her  Majesty  sent  for  Victoria  to  come  to 
Osborne.  Just  as  she  was  starting  thither  with  Mrs. 
Nicholson,  the  news  came  that  her  mother  was  dead." 

Mrs.  Nicholson  writes  :  "I  never  shall  forget  the 
deep  emotion  shown  by  our  beloved  Queen  when  I 
gave  her  the  letter  announcing  Mrs.  Davies'  death, 
and  the  motherly  sympathy  she  expressed  regarding 
her,  saying  with  deep  feeling,  '  She  was  such  a  dear 
creature.' " 

The  constantly  recurring  wars  have  greatly  bin- 


THE    FRUITAGE   OF   THE   SEED.  145 

dered  the  progress  of  the  Mission  ;  and  during  an 
outburst  in  1867,  all  the  missionaries  were  expelled, 
and  the  Mission  premises  destroyed.  But  in  the  pro- 
vidence of  God  the  work  was  recommenced  after  the 
lapse  of  a  few  years ;  and  besides  the  church  at 
Abeokuta,  a  good  work  is  being  carried  on  at  different 
points  in  the  country. 

No  event,  perhaps,  is  so  full  of  pathetic  interest  as 
the  passing  away  five  years  ago  of  the  mother  of 
Bishop  Crowther.  We  are  told  that  this  mother  in 
Israel  never  gave  up  entirely  her  native  style  of  life, 
she  eschewed  the  European  costume,  and  used  to  sit 
-by  preference  in  the  market-place  at  Lagos  "  like  a 
true  Yoruba  woman."  To  her,  after  a  life  of  ninety- 
seven  years,  the  summons  at  last  came ;  and  "  in 
a  happy  condition,  full  of  joy  to  go  to  her  Saviour," 
this  aged  saint  passed  to  that  land  where  partings, 
cryings,  the  weight  of  age,  and  the  wrongs  of  slavery 
never  vex  again. 

In  reviewing  the  work  of  the  Mission  on  the  Niger, 
the  practical  mind  of  Bishop  Crowther  is  stamped  on 
everything.  In  dealing  with  native  races  the  spiritual 
must  be  allied  to  the  educational,  and  especially 
where  the  wise  course  is  being  adopted  of  preparing 
the  converts  themselves  for  work  among  their  own 
people.  The  foolish  but  prevalent  idea,  that  the 
African  intelligence  cannot  develop  under  teaching, 
is  at  once  exploded  by  the  spectacle  of  such  a  work 
as  is  carried  on  at  the  Preparandi  Institution  at 
Lokoja,  situate  at  the  confluence  of  the  Binue  and 
Niger.  This  was  started  by  the  Bishop  for  the  further 
training  of  native  boys  as  catechists  and  school- 
masters.    The  stones  to  erect  this  substantial  build- 


146  SAMUEL   CROWTHER, 

ing  were  collected  from  the  hills  around,  and  the 
15,000  pieces  were  carried  by  women  to  the  mason 
who  had  been  specially  sent  from  Sierra  Leone  for 
the  purpose  of  the  work.  Everything  was  paid  for, 
and  the  sight  of  a  number  of  men  and  women  en- 
gaged in  industry,  properly  remunerated,  was  a  signi- 
ficant feature  of  that  district.  The  place  is  a  perfect 
marvel  to  the  natives.  They  cannot  understand  how 
the  stones  keep  together  for  such  a  height ;  and  as 
they  look  in  wonder,  say  to  each  other,  "  White  man 
pass  every  man;  white  man,  he  next  to  God."  It  is 
quite  on  the  College  plan,  with  tutors'  residences, 
dormitories,  class  rooms,  and  a  printing  room,  the 
gift  of  the  Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Know- 
ledge. Such  a  centre  of  spiritual  and  educational 
activity  will  influence  to  an  untold  extent  the  future 
of  the  West  Coast  of  Africa. 

An  apt  illustration  of  how  a  little  tact  will  overcome 
a  difficulty  is  given  in  the  case  reported  by  the  Eev. 
Daniel  Olubi,  of  Ibadan  in  the  Yoruba  territory.  At  a 
small  outlying  station,  Ogbomosho,  there  is  a  mission 
belonging  to  the  American  Baptists,  and  on  the 
occasion  of  the  burial  of  one  of  the  converts  a  great 
riot  ensued,  the  missionary  who  was  making  the  coffin 
having  to  fortify  himself  in  his  house  against  the 
religious  intolerance  of  the  mob.  The  chapel,  however, 
was  speedily  demolished,  and  even  the  pieces  were 
taken  away,  so  that  in  this  emergency  the  missionary 
applied  to  the  Church  Missionary  station  at  Ibadan, 
ftnd  Mr.  Olubi  sent  a  native  Catechist,  Mr.  I.  Okusende, 
to  arrange  the  difficulty.  After  much  opposition 
he  managed  to  secure  an  interview  with  the  Bale  or 
lieadman,  and  learnt  from  him  that  a  bitter  feeling 


THE   FRUITAOE   OF   TUE   SEED.  147 

existed  against  the  native  Christians.  They  were 
accused  of  betraying  the  secrets  of  the  Oro  worship, 
and  the  Bale  made  many  complaints  which  he  had 
heard  against  them.     This  is  what  followed  : 

"  Now  why,"  said  Mr.  Okusende,  "  do  you  trouble 
yourselves  about  such  things  ?  Why  give  heed  to 
these  foolish  reports?  I  beg,"  he  continued,  "that 
you  the  Bale  and  the  Elders  of  Ogbomosko  make  two 
bags,  long  and  large.  One  must  be  strongly  sewn 
up,  with  a  good  thick  bottom,  but  the  other  must  be 
without  a  bottom.  All  reports  and  false  accusations 
that  would  trouble  you  and  agitate  your  town  drop 
into  the  bag  without  the  bottom,  that  they  may  fall 
through,  but  all  beneficial  and  peaceful  affau's  put  into 
the  other."  When  he  had  finished,  the  Bale  authorized 
his  "Are  Ago"  (great  chief)  to  welcome  Mr.  Okusende, 
and  to  wish  him  much  blessing  for  the  good  message 
he  had  conveyed  to  them ;  and  then  himself  added, 
*'  We  are  not  vexed  with  the  teachers,  but  with  our 
own  people  who  go  down  to  them  to  be  taught  and  who 
reveal  secrets  of  Epingun,  Oro,"  etc.,  (these  are  well- 
known  Yoruba  superstitions.)  "  Stop,"  said  Mr. 
Okusende,  interrupting  him,  **  such  a  word  belongs  to 
the  bag  with  the  hole,  drop  it  in."  "  Very  well,"  the 
Bale  replied,  with  a  smile ;  and  after  a  few  words  he 
declared  that  all  the  suspicions  and  misunderstand- 
ings were  now  removed  out  of  the  way.  "  The  town 
elders  and  myself,"  he  said,  *'  have  done  with  them. 
The  Church  is  again  free  and  open  as  before,  and  all 
may  attend  who  choose,  and  we  will  help  in  the 
rebuilding  of  the  chapel." 

We  would  commend  the  preparation  of  these 
receptacles  to  the  attention  of  the  white  men   and 


148  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

ivomen  at  home,  who,  like  the  Bale  of  Ugbomosko, 
iometimes  forget  that  of  evil  speaking  a  spark  will 
xiindle  a  whole  fire  of  discontent  and  sorrow. 

Eeference  has  already  been  made  to  John  Okenla, 
the  brave  chief  of  Abeokuta,  who  led  forth  his  besieged 
fellow-countrymen,  and  inflicted  a  severe  defeat  upon 
the  army  of  the  king  of  Dahomey.  He  became  the 
leading  lay  member  of  the  Church  at  Abeokuta,  and 
founded  that  interesting  little  Christian  community 
lying  between  the  city  and  Otta.  For  many  years  he 
held  the  post  of  Christian  Balogun,  and  was  always 
ready  to  take  an  active  part  in  good  works. 

His  end  was  sudden,  but  peaceful.  He  had  borne 
well  the  weight  of  his  eighty  years,  and  on  the 
Saturday  before  his  death  had  walked  twenty-five 
miles,  and  ten  more  on  the  Sunday  morning  early,  so 
as  to  be  in  time  for  service  at  his  church.  He  partook 
of  the  sacrament,  and  on  the  Monday  following  was 
present  at  the  Harvest  Thanksgiving  service,  bringing 
his  own  offering  (twenty  thousand  cowries),  and  laying 
it  in  front  of  the  communion  rails.  On  the  Thursday, 
after  only  two  hours'  illness,  John  Okenla  fell  asleep 
in  Jesus,  and  at  his  grave  gathered  the  native  choir 
to  sing  a  special  song  of  mingled  sorrow  and  joy, 
composed  by  one  of  their  number.  It  was  a  touching 
scene,  the  strong  men  weeping  bitterly  at  the  loss  of 
their  old  and  faithful  comrade.  But  absent  in  the 
body  was  present  with  the  Lord,  and  John  Okenla 
had  gone  to  join  that  glorious  throng  who  without 
ceasing  praise  the  Lord. 

A  little  lower  down  the  river  Niger  than  Onitsha,  is 
the  Ibo  country,  where  a  mission  station  has  been 
successfully   started   by   the  converts  of   the  former 


THE    FRUITAOE   UF   THE   SEED.  149 

place.  On  Easter  Day,  1882,  a  very  interesting  visit 
was  made  by  about  fifteen  Christian  Onitsha  natives 
to  this  place,  when  five  hundred  people  gathered  to- 
gether to  hear  the  strangers  tell  the  wonderful  story 
of  the  Eesurrection. 

In  the  November  following  Bishop  Crowther  and 
Archdeacon  Henry  Johnson  visited  Obotsi,  and  held  a 
service  so  impressive  that  the  Archdeacon  says,  "  My 
heart  did  leajD  for  joy  on  beholding  the  glorious  scene 
which  unfolded  itself  before  my  eyes."  An  immense 
semicircular  concourse  of  chiefs  and  people  were  pre- 
pared to  receive  them.  The  greatest  attention  was 
given  to  the  sermon,  the  subject  of  which  was  the 
Prodigal  Son,  and  all  joined  in  the  sentences  of  the 
Lord's  Prayer,  slowly  read  out  to  them  in  the  Ibo 
tongue. 

One  of  the  interpreters  spoke  to  the  jDeople  also 
with  eloquence  and  s^Dirit,  relating  his  experiences  of 
Christianity  at  Sierra  Leone,  and  begging  them  to 
find  the  Saviour.  Quite  1,500  people  were  present, 
and  a  number  of  Christian  native  women  acted  as 
churchwardens  in  keeping  order,  and  showing  the 
congregation  when  and  how  to  kneel.  The  Bishop 
was  greatly  encouraged  with  the  result  of  his  inter- 
view with  some  of  his  chiefs. 

When  the  Bishop  of  Sierra  Leone  visited  Port  Lok- 
koh,  and  other  places  of  his  diocese,  in  1883,  he  had 
an  opportunity  of  talking  with  many  of  the  chiefs 
and  headmen  of  the  district.  The  remarks  of  one 
of  these  were  very  significant,  and  showed  a  keen 
appreciation  of  Christian  privileges.  Our  laws  he 
admired  because  they  made  no  difference  between 
rich  and  poor,  and  of  the  Bible  he  spoke  with  great 


150  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

enthusiasm.  His  closing  sentence  will  bear  repetition, 
"  The  paper  of  your  Book  is  light,  but  its  words  are 
heavy." 

The  eldest  son  of  Bishop  Crowther,  the  Archdeacon 
of  the  Lower  Niger,  paid  a  visit  to  England  in  the 
spring  of  the  year  1883,  in  order  to  purchase  two 
new  churches  for  the  Brass  Paver,  the  amount 
required  having  been  collected  by  the  native  Christians 
themselves.  These  churches  were  constructed  of  iron, 
carried  in  sections  to  Africa,  and  subsequently  trans- 
ferred in  canoes  to  the  places  alloted  to  them  up  the 
river.  When  the  church  was  commenced  to  be 
erected  at  Nembe,  a  vast  concourse  of  people  assem- 
bled to  witness  it  rising  piece  by  piece  from  the 
ground.  The  fixing  of  plates,  equivalent  to  stone 
laying  in  England,  was  a  scene  to  be  remembered,  and 
the  special  service  which  preceded  it  will  not  be  soon 
forgotten  by  the  assemblage  of  natives  which  gathered 
round.  The  chiefs  and  their  wives,  three  hundred 
and  fifty  in  number,  formed  a  group  round  the  spot 
where  the  banner  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society 
waved  in  the  wind.  The  native  Clergy  in  their 
surplices,  and  the  Catechist,  occupied  the  small  plat- 
form in  the  centre  of  the  group ;  and  after  some 
devotional  exercises,  two  leading  chiefs,  William 
Kennmer  and  Christopher  Iwowari,  members  of  the 
Church,  spiked  down  the  two  corner  plates,  and  the  im- 
pressive formula,  beginning  "In  true  faith  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,"  was  read  by  the  Archdeacon.  After 
a  solemn  prayer,  committing  the  interest  of  the  new 
sanctuary  to  the  God  of  all  grace  and  truth,  whose 
house  it  was  to  be,  all  present  rose  and  sang  the 
Doxology. 


THE   FRUITAGE   OF   THE   SEED.  151 

It  is  a  pleasing  feature  in  the  work  of  this  Church, 
that  a  strong  choir  is  gathered;  and  several  beautiful 
hymns,  such  as  Bickersteth's  "Peace,  perfect  peace," 
and  "  Come  to  Jesus,"  are  no^Y  translated  into  their 
own  tongue. 

In  1883,  in  the  course  of  his  pastoral  visitation, 
Bishop  Crowther  accompanied  Josiah  Obuyanwuru,  a 
Christian  native,  to  Obitsi.  They  had  with  them  nine 
female  communicants,  besides  a  number  of  young 
persons,  and  arrived  at  their  destination  in  time  to 
take  the  morning  service  in  the  new  chapel  built  by 
the  converts  there,  helped  by  generous  and  willing 
assistance  from  Onitsha.  The  building  was  of  com- 
modious size,  thatched  all  along  its  sixty  feet  with 
bamboo  matting.  The  service  was  begun  by  the 
singing  of  a  hymn  translated  into  their  own  language, 
read  out  to  them  verse  by  verse  by  George  Anya- 
Ebunam,  the  interpreter.  Then  Josiah  Obuyanwuru 
asked  that  some  one  would  lead  in  prayer,  and  one 
of  the  female  converts  immediately  offered  an  earnest 
supplication,  praying  for  the  conversion  of  the  people, 
and  specially  mentioning  the  names  of  several  of  the 
leading  men. 

Afterwards  Bishop  Crowther  preached  on  that 
watchword  of  missions,  "Go  ye,  therefore,  and 
teach  all  nations."  The  Bishop,  in  his  own  words, 
thus  describes  what  follows  :  "  After  long  speaking  at 
the  service,  together  with  six  miles'  walk  before  on  a 
gradual  ascending  land,  I  needed  a  little  quiet  rest 
for  an  hour  or  so,  which  I  had,  when  a  message 
came  from  Atta,  one  of  the  chiefs  who  was  present 
at  service,  that  he  would  be  very  glad  to  see  me  at 
his  house,   to  which  I  consented  to  go.      After  the 


152  SAMUEL   CROWTIIER. 

accustomed  etiquette  of  offering  the  kola  nuts  and 
palm  wine  as  marks  of  friendship  and  kind  reception, 
the  subject  was  broached,  namely,  their  wish  to  be 
correctly  informed  whether  what  the  Onitsha  converts 
had  told  them  in  their  preaching  was  correct,  that, 
when  any  of  their  chiefs  or  persons  of  rank  die, 
they  should  not  keep  the  body  for  many  days,  during 
which  time  they  keep  up  firing  guns,  drumming,  and 
dancing  until  they  obtain  a  slave  for  human  sacrifice 
to  be  buried  with  the  dead.  The  Christians  never 
did  such  things,  but  quietly  bury  their  dead  as  soon 
as  possible.  I  confirmed  the  teaching  of  the  converts 
as  being  quite  correct,  that  at  no  death  of  a  Chris- 
tian in  any  part  of  the  world  would  a  human  being 
be  killed  to  be  buried  with  the  dead,  how  honourable 
soever  the  dead  might  have  been  in  his  lifetime, 
because  this  act  is  a  great  abomination  in  the 
sight  of  God  ;  neither  would  the  relations  of  the  dead 
make  that  an  occasion  of  drumming,  dancing,  and 
firing  guns  for  days,  which  I  endeavoured  to  explain 
to  them  as  utterly  useless  to  the  dead  as  marks  of 
honour ;  that  if  the  dead  be  a  Christian,  as  soon  as  his 
soul  leaves  the  body  he  is  carried  by  the  angels  into 
heaven,  where  he  will  enjoy  everlasting  happiness 
with  Christ,  who  has  washed  the  soul  clean  with  His 
own  most  precious  blood." 

Death  has  been  at  work  in  different  parts  of  the 
Niger  district,  gathering  among  the  native  converts 
many  a  shock  of  corn  fully  ripe.  One  of  these  was  an 
old  man,  James  Odernide,  who  was  converted  under 
the  ministry  of  Mr.  Hinderer  at  Ibadan.  After  thirty- 
five  years  of  consistent  witnessing  for  Christ,  he  was 
called  hence  after  a  long  illness  patiently  borne.     On 


THE   FRUITAGE   OF   THE   SEED.  liJo 

one  occasion,  when  the  ministers  were  going  to  pray 
with  him,  he  said,  "  You  must  not  ask  God  to  spare 
my  Hfe  longer,  for  I  should  like  much  rather  to  be 
with  Him  before  long."  He  longed  for  release,  that 
he  might  enjoy  the  blessedness  of  being  with  Christ 
for  evermore.  Very  full  his  heart  was  one  morning 
when  he  exclaimed,  amid  his  pain  and  weakness, 
"  Would  to  God  I  were  with  Him  to-day  !  " 

It  is  to  be  feared  that  too  often  the  white  man, 
when  for  the  purposes  of  trade  or  exploration  he 
enters  the  country  of  the  heathen,  does  not  show 
much  evidence  of  the  Christianity  of  the  land  from 
which  he  has  come.  He  finds  himself  in  the  midst 
of  a  people  who,  degraded  as  they  are,  have  a  religion, 
and  stand  in  awe  of  the  god  whom  they  ignorantly 
worship;  but,  although  he  has  been  brought  up  in 
the  midst  of  surroundings  of  great  enlightenment, 
there  is  no  fear  of  God  before  his  eyes.  Thus  it  is 
that  many  natives  learn,  even  before  the  missionary 
comes  to  them  with  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation,  to 
despise  the  Christianity  of  the  white  man. 

Again  and  again  have  Crowther's  missionaries  had  to 
deplore  the  baneful  results  of  the  alcoholic  drink 
exported  from  England  to  these  heathen  lands. 
Dense  as  is  the  darkness  of  superstition  and  cruelty 
among  the  poor  people,  we  are,  by  our  rum  and  gin, 
blotting  out  every  lingering  gleam  of  humanity  and 
goodness  from  their  lives  and  character.  When  the 
barrel  has  gone  before  the  Bible,  or  after  it,  for  the 
matter  of  that,  the  work  of  teaching  the  precious 
truths  of  the  Christian  faith  becomes  exceedingly 
difficult.  That  it  is  against  the  wish  of  the  native 
rulers  will  be  abundantly  shown  by  the  letter  from  a 


154  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

Mohammedan  king  whicli  we  here  transcribe.  The 
original  is  in  the  Haussa  language,  written  by  Maliki, 
Emir  of  Nupe,  on  the  Niger,  two  years  ago,  addressed 
to  the  Eev.  C.  Paul,  a  native  missionary,  to  be  handed 
to  Bishop  Crowther.     The  translation  runs  as  follows : 

"  Salute  Crowther,  the  great  Christian  minister. 
After  salutation,  please  tell  him  he  is  a  father  to  us  in 
this  land;  anything  he  sees  will  injure  us  in  all  this 
land,  he  would  not  like  it.  This  we  know  perfectly 
well. 

"  The  matter  about  which  I  am  speaking  with  my 
mouth,  write  it ;  it  is  as  if  it  is  done  by  my  hand,  it  is 
not  a  long  matter,  it  is  about  Barasa  (rum  or  gin). 
Barasa,  Barasa,  Barasa !  my  God,  it  has  ruined  our 
country,  it  has  ruined  our  people  very  much,  it  has 
made  our  people  become  mad.  I  have  given  a  law 
that  no  one  dares  buy  or  sell  it ;  and  any  one  who  is 
found  selling  it,  his  house  is  to  be  eaten  up  (plundered) ; 
any  one  found  drunk  will  be  killed.  I  have  told  all 
the  Christian  traders  that  I  agree  to  anything  for 
trade  except  Barasa.  I  have  told  Mr.  Mcintosh's 
people  to-day,  the  Barasa  remaining  with  them  must 
be  returned  down  the  river.  Tell  Crowther,  the  great 
Christian  minister,  that  he  is  our  father.  I  beg  you, 
Malam  Kipo  (Eev.  C.  Paul,  native  missionary),  don't 
forget  this  writing,  because  we  all  beg  that  he  (Bishop 
Crowther)  should  beg  the  great  priests  (Committee 
C.M.S.)  that  they  should  beg  the  English  Queen  to 
prevent  bringing  Barasa  into  this  land. 

"  For  God  and  the  prophet's  sake,  and  the  prophet 
His  messenger's  sake,  he  (Crowther)  must  help  us 
in  this  matter,  that  of  Barasa.  We  all  have  con- 
fidence in  him,  he  must  not  leave  our  country  to 


THE   FRUITAOE   OF  THE   SEED.  155 

become  spoiled  by  Barasa.  Tell  him  ma}^  God  bless 
him  in  his  work.  This  is  the  mouth-word  from 
Maliki,  the  Emir  of  Nupe." 

In  some  cases,  however,  where  the  Gospel  has  been 
already  proclaimed  in  districts,  Christian  believers 
are  gathered  together,  and  they  gladly  welcome  any 
who  are  in  the  fellowship  of  their  common  faith.  A 
very  interesting  incident  of  that  is  related  of  one  of 
the  stations  of  the  Niger.  There,  as  we  have  seen, 
native  workers  are  in  charge  of  the  mission  work,  and 
labour  earnestly  for  the  salvation  of  their  brethren 
according  to  the  flesh.  On  one  occasion  one  of  the  lay 
agents  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society,  an  European, 
was  visiting  the  great  waterway  of  the  Western  Coast, 
and  being  one  evening  at  one  of  the  stations,  he  took 
part  in  the  devotional  services.  He  found,  as  is  the 
case  everywhere,  the  natives  were  very  fond  of  sing- 
ing ;  and  to  their  great  delight  he  sang  in  solo  some 
of  those  hymns  with  which  we  are  so  familiar  in 
England,  such  as  "Safe  in  the  arms  of  Jesus,"  "Hold 
the  Fort,"  and  others.  The  effect  of  this  may  be 
understood  by  the  words  of  the  native  missionary  to 
him  afterwards.  He  said,  "You  greatly  astonished 
our  people  last  evening.  Though  the  station  has  been 
in  existence  twenty  years,  you  are  the  first  white 
man  that  they  or  I  have  heard  pray  or  sing  here. 
We  always  tell  the  people  that  we  are  sent  and  sup- 
ported by  good  white  people  in  England  to  teach 
them  the  Way  of  Life.  But  they,  from  having  seen 
the  white  traders  so  busily  engaged  about  their  trade, 
and  never  attending  or  taking  part  in  religious  ser- 
vices, have  drawn  the  conclusion  that  whilst  teaching, 
preaching,  and  worship  are  part  of  the  white  mans 


156  SAMUEL   CROWTHEIl. 

religion,  trading  and  getting  money  must  be  the 
most  important  part  of  it,  and  to  this,  therefore, 
he  attends  himself ;  but  that  preaching  and  teaching, 
and  generally  the  spreading  of  his  religion,  being 
matters  of  minor  importance,  he  pays  black  men  to 
attend  to  for  him." 

Surely  such  an  impression,  which  is  generally  pre- 
valent on  the  West  Coast  of  Africa,  should  not  be 
allowed  to  continue  to  exist ;  and  it  is  to  be  hoped 
that  the  time  will  come  when  the  increased  interest 
in  mission  work,  and  greater  piety  of  our  business 
men  both  at  home  and  abroad,  will  prove  that  we  do 
not  in  word  only,  but  in  very  deed,  "  seek  first  the 
kingdom  of  heaven." 

In  Lagos  satisfactory  progress  is  being  made,  and 
the  Native  Pastorate  Church,  which  is  one  of  the  many 
blessed  fruits  of  the  work  of  the  Church  Missionary 
Society,  is  distinctly  gaining  ground.  In  the  Ebute 
Ero  Church,  the  members  of  which  are  all  natives  of 
Lagos,  a  very  interesting  and  encouraging  event 
occurred  in  September,  1878.  The  chiefs  as  they 
joined  the  sanctuary,  encouraged  others  to  follow 
them ;  especially  was  this  the  case  with  chief  Ogu- 
biyi,  after  whom  came  king  Tiwo,  of  Isheri.  This 
royal  personage  was  intimate  with  another  chief, 
Jacob  Ogubiyi — who  entered  into  fellowship  with  the 
Saviour  under  the  ministrations  of  a  native  mis- 
sionary, the  Eev.  James  White,  and  whose  idols  are 
now  at  Salisbury  Square. 

When  this  Christian  chief  attended  the  early 
morning  service  at  the  church,  it  was  the  custom  of 
king  Tiwo  to  wait  for  him  to  come  out,  and  it  is 
recorded  that  it  was  during  his  tarrying  in  the  door- 


THE   FRUITAGE   OF   THE   SEED.  157 

way  that  some  words  from  tlie  native  minister  fell 
upon  his  ear,  which  led  to  his  conversion.  lie  was 
placed  on  trial  for  the  baptismal  rite,  and  in  due 
time  the  hour  arrived  when  he  should  thus  solemnly, 
in  the  presence  of  his  own  people,  enter  Christ's 
visible  Church.  The  description  of  this  scene  was 
given  by  a  Lagos  correspondent  to  the  African  Times 
at  that  period,  from  which  we  quote  the  following 
account : — 

"Ebute  Ero  Church  was  not  only  crowded  within, 
but  the  church  premises  were  densely  thronged. 
Among  the  crowd  were  several  heathens  and  Moham- 
medans who  came  to  witness  the  ceremony.  After  the 
prayers  the  choir  was  singing  a  special  hymn,  when 
the  Eev.  William  Morgan  entered  the  communion 
rail,  and  king  Tiwo  came  forward,  suitably  attired, 
and  stood  in  the  front  of  the  communion  rail. 

"  After  the  Baptismal  Service  had  been  read,  Tiwo 
knelt  down.  It  was  a  solemn,  impressive  scene,  and 
instructive  to  all,  including  our  brethren,  the  heathens 
and  Mohammedans,  when  Mr.  Morgan  (one  of  the 
sponsors),  in  the  native  tongue,  said,  *  Name  this 
person,'  and  Mr.  Maser  gave  the  name  '  Daniel  Conrad 
Tiwo,'  and  he  was  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Holy 
Trinity.  When  the  water  was  poured  upon  his  head, 
and  the  sign  of  the  Cross  made  upon  his  forehead, 
the  heathen  outside  looking  on,  exclaimed  in  Yoruba, 
'  Olurun'  {i.e.  God),  and  the  Mohammedans  'Allah' 
{i.e.  God),  'is  great.'  The  sermon  was  preached  by 
Mr.  Morgan. 

"  Tiwo  soon  gave  evidence  of  his  change  of  heart  by 
obeying  the  Divine  command, '  Freely  ye  have  received, 
freely  give.'  He  knew  that  as  Christians  we  were 
bound  to  do  it  by  the  examples  of  believers,  both  in 


158  SAMUEL   CROWTHER. 

the  Jewish  and  the  Christian  churches.  Besides  other 
contributions,  he  freely  gave  £100  to  the  Ebute  Ero 
Church  fund,  and  £'2,5  to  the  building  of  the  parson- 
age house;  and  it  was  announced  at  the  Bible  meeting 
on  the  9th  inst.,  that  he  gave  two  guineas  as  a  thank- 
offering. 

"  On  hearing  of  his  admission  to  the  visible  church 
of  Christ  by  baptism,  his  subjects  and  friends  from 
Isheri,  Otta,  and  districts  about  Lagos,  came  to  see 
him,  and  he  told  them  of  the  blessings  of  God ;  and 
on  Sunday,  the  15th  inst.,  no  less  than  560  persons, 
male  and  female,  including  heathens  and  Moham- 
medans, went  with  him  to  church,  '  and  offered 
thanksgivings  for  late  mercies  vouchsafed  unto  him.'  " 

To  all  who  earnestly  desire  the  extension  of  the 
kingdom  of  Christ,  this  incident  must  convey  a  lively 
sense  of  encouragement  and  gratitude.  When  it  is 
remembered  that  these  are  all  black  people,  both 
ministers  and  congregation,  and  that  it  was  at  this 
very  spot  years  before  that  Bishop  Crowther  was 
carried  a  poor  slave  boy,  the  reader  is  constrained  to 
say,  "What  hath  God  wrought  !  " 

The  record  of  the  closing  years  of  his  life  is  soon 
told.  During  a  brief  stay  in  this  country  he  wrote, 
in  his  little  room  at  Salisbury  Square,  that  introduc- 
tory letter  with  which  these  pages  begin,  invested 
with  a  touching  interest  now  that  the  hand  which 
penned  it  is  still  in  death.  After  returning  to  his 
diocese  for  about  a  year,  he  made  one  more  visit  to 
England  to  consult  a  specialist  about  his  eyes,  and 
this  was  the  last  time  that  his  face  was  seen  here. 
Soon  after  his  return  to  the  Niger,  troubles  arose 
there  and  the  venerable  Bishop  strove  with  tact  and 
patience  to  restore   unity  between   the  native   and 


THE   FRUITAGE    OF   THE   SEED.  159 

European  clergy  in  his  diocese.  Thus  the  sky  was 
cloudy  as  his  sun  went  down  in  the  west.  But  he 
had  fought  a  good  fight,  and  his  purity  of  life  and 
loyalty  to  Christ  and  His  Church,  had  given  him,  in 
the  retrospect  of  so  long  a  life,  cause  for  thankfulness 
and  peace.  On  the  last  day  of  the  old  year,  1891,  at 
Lagos,  the  old  man  passed  away. 

The  Church  Missionary  Society,  to  which  he  owed 
so  much,  and  for  which  he  had  laboured  so  faithfully, 
have  placed  on  record  that :  "  As  regards  the  world, 
it  is  the  poorer  for  his  removal.  From  his  earliest 
years,  in  the  providence  of  God,  Samuel  Crowther's 
lot  was  cast  amidst  some  of  the  saddest  manifesta- 
tions of  its  wickedness  and  of  the  depravity  of  the 
human  heart ;  and  in  this  environment  he  patiently 
find  consistently  carried  on  the  battle  against  evil, 
maintaining  throughout  an  unblemished  reputation. 
As  regards  the  Church,  he  has  most  courageously 
fulfilled  for  nearly  thirty  years,  to  the  best  of  his 
abilities  (and  they  were  of  no  mean  order),  and  with 
unremitting  diligence  and  devotion,  the  duties  of  a 
Bishop  under  circumstances  of  almost  unexampled 
difficulty,  and  in  face  of  very  exceptional  discourage- 
ments and  disappointments.  As  regards  himself,  we 
may  justly  say  that  his  life  is  a  conspicuous  proof  of 
the  power  of  the  Gospel,  and  of  the  continued  pre- 
sence of  the  Spirit  of  God  in  Christ's  Church." 

The  lives  of  other  servants  of  God  may  seem  more 
heroic,  but  his  was  conscientious  and  faithful  well- 
doing ;  so  unobtrusive  was  his  character  that  the 
worker  is  always  lost  in  the  work.  He  was  unspoilt 
by  an  office  which  often  proves  a  giddy  pinnacle  for 
many  men ;  his  humility  was  perhaps  his  chief 
characteristic.     Now  that  he  is  gone,  Africa  has  lost 


160  SAMUEL    CROWTHER. 

one  of  its  most  honoured  sons,  and  the  missionary 
cause  throughout  the  world  a  faithful  witness  for  the 
Cross.  Being  dead  he  yet  speaketh  ;  and  beckons  to 
those  in  Christian  England  to  come  over  and  help  his 
beloved  Africa,  for  whose  welfare  his  long  life  was  one 
labour  of  love. 


From  Afric's  wilderness  there  comes  a  cry, 
A  plea  for  help  aud  mercy,  o'er  the  wave, 

The  voice  of  souls  in  sorrow,  and  for  whom 
The  gracious  Saviour  shed  His  blood  to  save. 

Is  there  a  darker  spot  the  round  world  o'er  ? 

Surely  this  land  in  deepest  gloom  doth  lie, 
The  ci'uelty  of  hard  oppression's  yoke 

Blights  all  the  black  man's  days,  until  he  die. 

Who  shall  depict  the  miseries  of  the  slave? 

The  galling  fetter  and  the  grinding  toil, 
The  fatal  march,   the  dying  and  the  dead, 

Where  blood  of  countless  victims  stains  the  soiL 

Is  there  no  pity  left  in  English  hearts  ? 

Can  we  unmoved  the  tale  of  sorrow  hear? 
God  of  our  fathers  !    give  us  grace  and  love 

The  burden  of  our  brothers'  care  to  bear. 

Bring  to  this  deeply  stricken  people  news 

Of  Christ's  great  love,  the  balm  of  Gilead  pour 

Into  those  wounded  hearts.  He,   only  He 

Who  died  for  sinners,  can  their  sickness  cure. 

Shine,  Sun  of  Righteousness,  on  Afric's  land, 
Break  Thou  the  fetter,   set  the  bondsmen  free, 

So  shall  the  heathen  to  Thy  Kingdom  come, 
And  lift  their  sweet  thanksgivings  unto  Thee. 


LONDON:     KNIGHT,  PRIWTER,   MIDDLE   STREET,    ALDERSGATH,    E.C. 


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